Fate
by Mcxynth
Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate? StiCy.
1. Chapter 1: Fated Meeting

**FATE  
**_**Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate?  
Main Pairing: StiCy or LucyxOC  
Genre: Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Humor**_

**DISCLAIMER: **I DO NOT own Fairy Tail, but I DO want to be there and join...

* * *

**Chapter 1: Fated Meeting  
****"You live your own life. You're on your own and you know what you know. You'll decide where to go."**

**Normal POV**

_A week after the X791 Grand Magic Games and a week since the Eclipse Project..._

_In the Sabertooth Guild..._

"What!? You're leaving!?" Minerva whisper-shouted at the duo in front of her.

"Yeah, and so what?" the arrogant White Dragon Slayer retorted. His partner just kept his calm and stoic face. Minerva just stared at them while Rufus and Orga bid them goodbye.

"Leave the brats alone, Minerva," the booming voice of Master Jiemma resounded in the room. The five turned to face him. "It's their own decision. And everyone clearly knows the reason behind this." Awkward silence followed until Sting decided to break it. "Well then, see ya," he waved to his old teammates and made his way out of the room. Rogue and the two Exceeds followed.

When the Dragon Incident arose a week ago during the Games, all Guilds decided to work together to fight off the threat. After the Incident, Sabertooth and Fairy Tail made a friendly pact and their rivalry disappeared right then and there (but Master Jiemma still looked down on the weak). The agreement made the choice of leaving easier for Sting and Rogue. For Rogue, he wanted to find a better guild that would take care of their own nakamas, and for Sting, he wanted to be together with his girlfriend, the one and only celestial mage of Fairy Tail, Lucy Heartfilia.

How did it happen? Well...

_FLASHBACK_  
Sting walked around the Fiore's Park. He was bored out of his mind and the 1st day of the games just ended. He looked around looking for something interesting until his eyes landed on a crying blonde celestial mage seated on a bench. Unconsiously, he walked near her, his dragon hearing picking up the words she was muttering.

"Why did I have to be so weak?"

"If only I trained myself better..."

"I'm so pathetic."

Sting stopped walking in front of the blonde mage and stared down at her. Sensing someone in front of her, Lucy looked up and their eyes met.

Sting broke the awkard silence. "What are you doing here crying, Fairy?"

Lucy's eyes widened for a second, and then it turned to a glare. "What are YOU doing here, Tiger?" she challenged. Sting was surprised at her comeback and smirked. "Not bad, Blondie." Lucy's eyes narrowed. "You're blonde, too."

Sting chuckled and stood up straight. "You didn't answer my question, yet." At his words, Lucy tilted her head to the side. "What was your question?" Sting stared at her, and in his opinion, Lucy looked kind of cute. He mentally smacked himself and replied, "I said, what are you doing here crying?"

Lucy lips formed a smile, but Sting could tell it was forced. "N-nothing, really..." "Is it because of your loss?" Sting questioned. Then tears started forming from Lucy's eyes again. He panicked. "W-what the hell!? Stop cryin' will you?!"

"Y-yeah, I guess I should," Lucy chuckled a bit and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I'm just so frustrated. I almost won, but then... Raven Tail just had to interfere... I'm not angry at them. I'm just so angry at myself. Natsu even had to help me. I couldn't do anything by myself and was even tortured by Flare. Why did I have to be so weak? Why did I have to be so pathetic? Why did-"

Sting had had enough. "Stop saying that you're weak." Lucy stopped and looked up at him, staring intently at his deep, blue eyes. "The audience were just plain idiots that they couldn't tell that the spell was canceled. Heck, you have 10 Zodiac Gate Keys out of the 12 in the whole world! That's a big achievement already. Plus, you managed to make her cower in fear in the end," he ended his speech with a smirk. Lucy stared at him, surprised. Then her lips formed a smile. But this time, it wasn't forced.

Her smile turned into a big grin. "Thank you, Sting." Sting was taken aback for a second and turned away, trying to hide a small tint of pink on his cheeks. He turned to the blonde again after hearing her giggle. "What's so funny?" Lucy stopped giggling and stared at him.

"Who knew the arrogant and cocky Great Sting Eucliffe could give that kind of touching speech?" Lucy smiled. Sting smirked. "Because I'm the Great Sting Eucliffe after all. And that wasn't a touching speech!" Sting argued. Lucy giggled again. To Sting's ears, it sounded like an angel's song. He mentally smacked himself again trying to get rid of the thought.

"Well, I'll be heading back to our inn." Lucy stood up and turned around, but paused and faced Sting again. "Thank you!" She waved at him and ran to a pub where her guild was partying.

Sting just stood there staring at her retreating figure. Then a "wonderful" thought came to him. _Just now, did I just say something super awesome!?*_ He chuckled to himself and let the prideful thought fade away. Finally, his boredom was gone.

The two met again at the same old park after the 4th Day. This time, though, it was Sting sitting alone on the bench, pitying himself for his loss against Natsu. He looked up when he heard footsteps and saw a familiar blonde celestial mage walking towards him. The girl sat on the other side of the bench, also looking down.

"What are you doing here with all those bandages?" Sting asked.

"I should say the same to you." Lucy's lips formed a tiny smile. Sting averted his gaze from Lucy unto the ground again and sighed. "How ironic. 3 days ago you were the one sitting here pitifully and now..."

Lucy chuckled, surprising Sting. "Why do you have to feel so down? You were wonderful! Although I didn't watch the battle myself..." Sting smirked but then it faded. "You didn't watch?" There was a hint of disappointment in his voice. The girl's lips formed a tiny smile again. "Yeah. My condition was so bad I had to stay in bed."

Sting continued staring at her. "Then why are you here?" Lucy looked up at the starry sky. "I wanted to take a breath of fresh air. And, who knows? I might meet a certain blonde dragon slayer and hear another touching speech!" She chuckled at the end.

Sting chuckled, too. "Sorry to disappoint you but looks like I have no 'touching speech' for tonight." He looked down once again. "I'm the one who needs one right now." He muttered, not wanting Lucy to hear him. Unfortunately for him, Lucy heard him.

"Then I'll try making one up!" Lucy smiled a big grin. Sting stared at her. How did she manage to smile like this after her painful loss in the hands of Minerva? **(A/N "In the hands of Minerva"... literally) **Sting scoffed. "Go ahead and try."

Lucy pouted, but smiled. She looked up at the starry sky. "I never could have imagined the Great Sting Eucliffe like this..." she muttered. "Hey, I heard that!" Sting exclaimed. Lucy laughed. "You don't know how grateful I am for what you said that night. It means more to me than you think." Sting's eyes widened. He was curious. "How is that?"

"Well..." Lucy paused. "It was my birthday."

Sting's eyes widened. _It was her birthday?! _"Err... belated... happy birthday...?" he stammered. Lucy giggled. "You were the only one who gave me a birthday gift. Thank you. My opinion on you changed that night."

"And it didn't change again after what happened to Yukino?" Sting questioned. And for a moment he regretted asking that, because Lucy's smile faded a little. "I don't think it was your fault. You had no say in it, right?" Sting looked down. It's true. "That's why I still think you have a good side in you."

Sting scoffed. "How is that going to cheer me up?" Lucy averted her gaze from the stars to his deep, blue eyes. "Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you. You did your best. No matter how strong Natsu was, you still managed to fight back. You should be proud," she replied. "Hmph, are you saying he's far stronger than me and I'm weak?" he argued.

Lucy's jaw dropped. "What? How did you come to that?!" Sting flinched. Lucy's outburst surprised him. He faced Lucy again and stared at her as she continued. "You're not weak. You're strong. So what if your guildmates look down on you? As if they'd be able to beat him themselves!" Sting stared at her for some time until he replied, "After our loss, I'm sure Master Jiemma will get angry at us. We disgraced the name of Sabertooth. We're weak."

Lucy heaved out a big sigh. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Other people's opinion of you doesn't have to become your reality. You live your own life. You're on your own and you know what you know. _You'll_ decide where to go." Sting stared at her, wide-eyed. He opened his mouth to reply, but Lucy interrupted him. "You're acting just like how I did last time, you know."

Sting stared at her, trying to process Lucy's words. She was right. Everything she said started to knock some sense in him. So what if his guild looked down on him? For all he knew, he's strong. He's the Great Sting Eucliffe after all. He smirked and chuckled. "That was a long speech, Blondie. Congrats, you knocked some sense in me."

Lucy stared at him then chuckled. "So I had to use my knowledge of famous quotes just to knock some sense in that dense brain of yours, huh?" Sting glared at her, but she just giggled.

"Hmph, at least I managed to cheer you up with less words than you, Blondie."

"WHAT!?... Tch, the words you used were idiotic. Mine sounded far more smarter than yours."

"Well, sorry if mine weren't as touching as yours!"

"Hmmmm...? So you admit mine was more touching?"

"Bah! Just shut up!"

"Make me!"

Sting looked at Lucy, and stared long and hard at her brown eyes. Then, he smirked. Lucy suddenly felt chills run up her spine. "W-w-what are you-" She never got to continue because Sting smacked his lips on hers, _shutting her up_ effectively. The kiss lasted only for a few seconds, and Sting pulled away.

He smirked, amused by Lucy's tomato red face. "W-w-w-what was t-that f-for!?" she stammered. "You told me to make you shut up," he replied with a wider smirk, if that was even possible. "Y-you p-pervert!" Lucy waved her hands around wildly. "Y-you didn't have to do that! You stole my first k-kiss!" She was still red.

Sting laughed, and Lucy just got more annoyed. They spent some more time in the park, with Sting teasing her from time to time, and Lucy was getting all flustered and was trying to smack Sting.

Unbeknownst to them, however, a certain shadow dragon slayer was watching them from afar. It was a surprise that Sting didn't notice him. Well, he was a shadow after all. After the first day, he noticed Sting enter the guild without the latter feeling bored, which was quite a feat since he always complained about things being boring. And then after their loss, he secretly followed Sting outside, like he even had anything better to do. As to why he followed him secretly, he didn't know why himself. It was then he saw the blonde girl approach Sting and start a conversation with him. He wondered why it seemed like they knew each other before that, so he eavesdropped and got his answer.

Rogue listened to every word that came out of Lucy's mouth. He, too, was affected by Lucy's words and was somehow comforted. He felt he had to make an appearance, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Sting kiss the girl. Dumbfounded, he stared at the two. Then a tiny, almost invisible, smirk appeared on his lips. He decided to tease Sting later to no end.

During the attack of the 7 Dragons after the Games, Sting heard about Lucy's predicament. Her life (and Yukino's) was in danger because of the 7 Dragon's release. When he heard that, he went berserk on the dragons and proceeded to save her before Mercurius collapsed with her inside. Fortunately, he made it out with Lucy in his arms. He confessed his growing feelings to her and to his suprise and happiness, Lucy returned it. Their moment was ruined by their "audience", however, who seemed to have overheard their confession. He was gaping at them the whole time, and he was scared to see what was going to be Master Jiemma's reaction.

Well, Master Jiemma and Minerva were furious and disapproved of their relationship immediately. However, to the couple's surprise, all the other guilds, some other spectators, and surprisingly, the rest of Team Sabertooth, forced them into a corner and made them accept the facts. After a lot of arguing and forcing (mostly from Fairy Tail's Titania and Demon), they reluctantly agreed. Master Makarov took this as an opportunity to make a peace treaty with Sabertooth, using the new couple as one of the reason. To the surprise of everyone present, Master Jiemma and Minerva accepted the offer without much reluctance.

While everyone was still in state of shock, Sting took the opportunity to swoop down and gave Lucy a kiss on the lips. Mira saw this and squealed, eventually getting everyone's attention. The whole place roared with cheers and congratulatory shouts. Fairy Tail threatened Sting that if he ever hurt Lucy, they'll have a whole guild to watch out for (of course, Sting promised he'll never do that).

All the guilds had a big party that night to celebrate their victory over the Dragons and for Sting and Lucy. Everything went with the flow. That is, until Natsu and Gray started another ridiculous fight, with Elfman jumping in and knocking down Erza's cake, and then Titania joined the brawl, and then... well, you get the picture.

The Grand Magic Games ended with a bang. The Fairy Tail way.  
_END OF FLASHBACK_

_In the Fairy Tail Guild..._

Lucy sat on her usual place in the Fairy Tail bar, in front of Mira who was wiping the glasses. She had just received a letter from Sting that he and Rogue left Sabertooth to join Fairy Tail. She was worried. She already knew her guild would accept them, but would they fit in with the Guild? Can they adapt?

She sighed. She's worrying too much. She should just trust her guild and her lover (oh, and Rogue, too).

"Ne~ Lucy, where's lover-boy?" Mira excitedly asked the blonde celestial mage in front of her, drinking her favorite strawberry milkshake. Lucy choked on her drink. "Mira!" Mira just giggled and squealed. Lucy sighed. "He said he's coming to join the guild along with Rogue and the two Exceeds." Levy and Erza walked up to her.

"Really, Lu-chan? So then we'll have 6 Dragon Slayers!" Levy exclaimed.

"But what will happen to the treaty? Now that Sting's joining Fairy Tail, we have no sort of connection with Sabertooth, anymore." Erza tapped her chin in thought.

"Oh, don't worry about that. That would be Master's problem to solve." The three girls sweatdropped at Mirajane's careless comment.

Suddenly, the doors burst open and everyone turned to look at their guests. There stood Lucy's beloved white dragon slayer and his raven-haired partner along with their loyal Exceeds. There was moment of silence until the guild "exploded" with cheers, warmly welcoming and surprising the new members. Mirajane signalled them to the counter to give them the guild marks.

"Welcome, Stingy Bee," Lucy teased.

"Told you not to call me that. Oh, and thanks, Blondie," Sting replied.

"What?! You're blonde, too!"

"Yeah, so what?"

Mirajane giggled at the scene. "So sweet!" Levy, Erza, Rogue (O.o), Frosch, and Lector nodded.

"You better be proud that you have the same hair color as mine, the Great Sting Eucliffe."

"You and your arrogant mouth."

"Wha-"

Their "lover's quarrel" was interrupted by a mug of booze that went flying straight to Sting's face. Lucy's jaw dropped. Sting turned around and saw Natsu and Gray rolling on the floor with laughter. He quickly dashed towards them and punched them both on the faces. The three have a glaring contest until it became a brawl. More mages joined in and it became another Fairy Tail brawl.

Lucy sighed. Looks like she didn't have to worry about Sting fitting in. He fit RIGHT in. She turned her head towards Rogue and noticed that he was having a light conversation with Erza, Mirajane, and Master.

She smiled. She really doesn't have to worry anymore.

"Hey Lucy, you look really creepy~!"

An angry tick mark appeared on Lucy's forehead. She slowly and _creepily_ turned her head to face the annoying blue Exceed...

BAM!

...and sent him flying with the infamous Lucy Kick.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

* * *

**(A/N)**

*****"Just now, did I just say something super awesome!?" - I got this line from Pin from Kimi ni Todoke. Pin is really a funny guy. This "quote" really got stuck on my mind after I read it. :D

Done! Phew... My first chapter and my very first fanfic. Hope you like it XD. This chapter could have been a one-shot...

Some of you might think that the summary doesn't fit with the story, right? Kekeke... You'll see.

Anway, please R&R! :D


	2. Chapter 2: Cruel Fate Part I

**FATE**_**  
Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate?  
Main Pairing: StiCy or LucyxOC  
Rating: T for SafeT  
**__**Genre: Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Humor**_  


**DISCLAIMER: **I DON'T own Fairy Tail! If I did, StiCy wouldn't be a crack pairing! I'll definitely put in more moments! KYAA! XD

Here's another chapter! :D Since it's summer vacation here, I have nothing to do. So, I decided to update! Well, I promised myself I'll update last Thursday, but I got lazy and distracted. Hopefully, this chapter would satisfy my... "guilt"?

And thanks a lot **Psyka, Retreat, Madeline-chan09, DragonPrincessXx,** and **Caught in a love triangle**! Your reviews fired me up to finish this as soon as possible (even though my laziness got in the way)!

Oh, and I forgot to add that Fairy Tail got their former building back, the BIG one, in the previous chapter. My bad... On second thought, I don't think it's anything important...

This chapter is the start of the drama, the actual start of the story (Chapter 1 was basically a...Prologue?).

If there are any grammatical errors, I'm so sorry T_T ... English is my second language, after all.

Oh, and I'll be putting in some POVs :) And here's a warning: this chapter would be sad.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Cruel Fate Part 1  
"You've got all of us behind your back. We'd never let anything happen to you."**

**Normal POV**

_3 Months after the GMG  
__October X791_

Lucy sat on her usual place in front of the bar, drinking her strawberry milkshake while Mira wiped the bar counter. She was thinking about everything she has experienced while being in Fairy Tail. From her first mission with Natsu, to the Grand Magic Games, to when she and Sting became a couple, to Sting and Rogue quitting Sabertooth and joining Fairy Tail. She smiled at some thoughts, got irritated at some, and even almost cried at some. _I'm getting too emotional,_ Lucy thought.

"Hey, Lucy," Mira suddenly asked, making the blonde celestial mage flinch a bit after being so deep in thought. "I've been wondering..." she trailed off a bit at the end, earning a raised eyebrow from the younger girl.

"Why Sting?"

The question almost made Lucy choke on her drink. "Huh?" She stared at Mira cluelessly. _What the heck is she talking about?_ "I mean, why did you choose Sting? You know... why not Natsu? Or Gray? Or Loke? Or Dan? Or-" Before she can continue, Lucy cut her off.

"Wait, wait, wait, Mira," Lucy paused for a bit, took a deep breath, then proceeded with her explanation. "Natsu's my best friend. He's special and all, but that's it. Gray's a special friend, too, but Juvia will drown me forever if I even dared to get close to him." Mira laughed, then signaled Lucy to continue. "Loke's a spirit. Any kind of romance between spirit and mage is a breach of the rules, not that I like him more as a friend. And Dan? No offense, but NO WAY.

"As for Sting..." Lucy trailed off and smiled. Mira looked at her and smiled, too, already getting a clue on what her answer would be like. "He's different. He made me feel much more special. Sure, I get annoyed at him with his nickname 'Blondie', but I find it sweet, too. He's adorable when he pouts and gets jealous!" Lucy laughed and her smile widened. She looked at Mira. "It's because I love him. That's why I chose him."

Mira smiled at Lucy's response. She was happy to see the blonde in this state. Lucy started changing ever since she met Sting and ever since they became a couple 3 months ago. She was much happier and her smile became more radiant, all thanks to that certain blonde dragon slayer.

Sting sat on a table, not far from where Lucy was. He was sitting with Rogue, his two exceeds, and the rest of Team Natsu. Through his dragon hearing, he overheard Lucy's response to Mirajane's question and smiled.

"Hey, stop smiling to yourself. You look weird," a certain flame-head remarked.

An angry tick mark appeared on Sting's forehead. "The hell did you say, ash brain!?"

Gray laughed. "Bwahaha, the bastard called you ash brain, flame head!"

"Shut up, Ice Queen!"

"Who ya calling 'bastard', perverted popsicle!?"

And just like that, they started another ridiculous brawl.

**Rogue POV**  
I just sat there, watching the three of them bicker over something useless, not that they bickered over something anyway. My "source of amusement" was interrupted by a pissed-off Titania, however. I snickered after seeing the lumps on their heads.

I'm glad me and Sting joined this guild. I've always wanted to join a guild that shares a bond in between their members, their _nakama_.

Just then, Master's voice resounded in the guild hall, silencing everyone.

"Team Natsu, Sting, Rogue, come to my office NOW!" the voice boomed. Immediately after that, I stood up and followed the others to his office.

_In Master's office_

We gathered in front of Master's desk. Due to his small size, the amount of his paperwork, the height of the desk and chair, he was hard to see...

What am I saying?

"What is it master?" Erza asked, breaking my useless line of thought.

The Master cleared his throat before continuing, "I have an urgent mission for all of you. I would like to grant you all the task to bring down and capture a notorious dark guild in the west, Midnight Dread **(A/N Pretty lame name, don't you think -_- ? )**. They have been robbing several towns and killing some innocent locals. Majority of the population of nearby towns are already scared of them. That's why I would like you brats to destroy them." He looked at each of us, observing our reactions. I kept my calm and stoic face as usual. "So are you all up for it?"

"Hell yeah! I'm all fired up!" said the ever-so-enthusiastic Salamander.

"I'll go to make sure the flamebrain doesn't mess things up."

"What did you say, Stripper!?"

"I said-"

"CUT IT OUT!" Erza boomed. Then she turned from the scared Natsu and Gray to the Master. "Of course, Master."

"Yes, Master," Lucy replied.

"Well, if Blondie's going, I am too." Said the idiot, Sting.

"Sure." I said. I didn't have anything else to do, anyway.

**(A/N Wendy and Charle was on another job, so they won't be taking part on this mission)**

* * *

_An hour later... On the train going to Settia Village..._

**Lucy POV**

_I looked around. I couldn't see anything, but darkness. Darkness was everywhere. _

_"Hello? Anyone?" I strained my ears, trying to pick up any sound. Faintly, I heard something._

Sob...Sniff...

_"Huh? What was that?" I said to nothing in particular. I knew I heard something. Then the sound came again, louder this time._

Sniff...Sob...Lucy...

_Wait, what? Okay, now I'm officially creeped out. Who was speaking? I sensed a light behind me, so I turned around and headed for it. I went through it and raised my hand to shield my face from the blinding light. After a moment, I heard the cries again. I put down my hand and took in my surroundings. I was at a cemetery and it was raining. _

_"Why am I here?" Then I noticed my friends gathered in a crowd not far from me. They were all wearing black and their heads hung low. I approached Levy who seemed to be the nearest to me._

_"Levy-chan...who d-died?" I had a hard time saying that last word. She didn't answer, but she kept her head hung low and continued sobbing uncontrollably. Gajeel, who was next to her, also had a sad expression, which was a rare sight._

_I decided not to press on further and walked nearer to my team who was in front of the crowd. On the way, I saw Rogue. I looked at his face and noticed that he was crying. His face was shadowed by his long shaggy hair, but you could see he was crying by the stream that was flowing down his chin._

_Rogue crying... Just _who_ died? No. C-Could it be...?_

_I moved forward, slowly. I studied my team's expressions. Natsu was on all fours, crying rivers. Gray was trying to hide his tears by looking up, but to no avail. Erza was hiding her face with her scarlet hair, but it was obvious she was crying. Wendy was sobbing and Charle and Happy were trying to comfort her. It didn't work because they were crying, too._

_Finally, my eyes locked on a figure farther away from them. He was crouched down, hugging the tombstone like it was his only lifeline. _

_Sting...?_

_I walked slowly up to him. Due to the rain, I didn't understand what he was muttering, so I tried to get within his hearing range. I was right behind him when he said in between sobs, "Luce, why? Why did you have to leave? Why?"_

_My eyes widened. _W-What? Did he just-? No. M-Maybe I heard wrong, _I thought. I crouched down beside him and put my hand on his shoulder...but my hand phased through. _

W-What? My h-hand...

_Tears started welling up in my eyes. Scared, I slowly averted my gaze on the tombstone. Even with the pouring rain, I could still read the inscription:_

_Hear Lies The Angel Loved by All  
The Lucky Angel of Smiles  
Lucy Heartfilia  
X767-X791_

_"N-no..." The tears started flowing down my eyes. I quickly turned to everyone. "I-I didn't die, everyone! I'm right here! Don't cry, everyone!" I turned around again to Sting. "S-Sting turn around. I-I'm right here. I'm not dead. I didn't l-leave you." I reached out again and tried to hug him, but I just passed through him. _

_Now I was on the floor, on all fours, crying. "I'm not dead...I'm not... Everyone... wake up..."_

_"You ARE dead."_

_I quickly looked up and saw a black figure. I couldn't see him clearly because of my tears. Or was it a she?_

_"Accept the fact."_

Accept what? I'm not dead!_ I looked around. There was nothing again. Only plain darkness. _

_"You are dead, Lucy Heartfilia."_

No, I'm not...

_"You're dead."_

No...

_"Dead..."_

No...

_"Lucy."_

NO.

_"Lucy!"_

NO!

_"LUCY!"_

* * *

**Normal POV**

Lucy's eyes snapped open. The train had stopped for the moment. Everyone was looking at her with sad and concerned faces. Then she felt a hand brush past her eyes. She looked to her right and her brown eyes met Sting's deep blue ones.

"What's wrong? Are you akay?" he asked.

"H-huh? Of course I am."

"No, you're not. You were whimpering and crying in your sleep," Gray stated.

"Eh?"

"Lucy, tell us your nightmare," Erza said.

"T-there's no need to-"

"Just tell us, Luce. It would make you feel better." That was Natsu.

"B-but-"

Then she felt a hand cup her cheek and wipe the remaining tears. Then the hand cupped her chin and tilted it to face the owner who sat beside her, Sting.

"Tell us, Luce."

Lucy stared at his eyes. It was full of concern and worry for her well-being. She looked down and reluctantly told them her nightmare. Everyone was quiet, and for that moment Lucy felt scared, though she didn't know why. Then the next moment she found herself in her lover's arms, holding her in a tight embrace.

The first to speak up was Erza. "Don't worry, Lucy. We won't let anything happen to you."

"Erza's right, Luce. We'll definitely protect you," Natsu said.

"Yeah, Luce. Although I'd hate to admit it, the talking charcoal's right," Gray followed, earning a glare from Natsu.

Rogue simply nodded in acknowledgment, being the man-of-few-words he is.

"See, Luce? You've got all of us behind your back. We'd never let anything happen to you. Especially me." Sting looked deep in her eyes, expecting a reaction. He sighed in satisfaction after Lucy nodded.

Lucy turned to face her comrades.

"Thank you, everyone."

* * *

_In the forests around Settia Village..._

"So this is Midnight Dread?"

Currently, the gang was deep in a forest, and in front of them was the base of Midnight Dread. It wasn't a large building, but it looked intimidating enough with its dark colors and spine-chilling patterns. The group walked towards the doors and kicked the door open (Natsu was the one who did the kicking honors, though). All the faces in the room turned to them. Then they ran towards the group of mages and attacked.

Natsu rushed forward and went all Fire Dragon's Iron Fist on whoever blocked his way.

Gray attacked a group of mages with his Ice Make: Lance.

Rogue's Shadow Dragon's Roar did a number on them.

Erza easily maneuvered herself through them with her Black Wing Armor.

Lucy summoned Taurus to take care of some.

Sting attacked with his Roar while protecting Lucy at the same time.

Half an hour passed and they already took care of all the mages on that floor. They heard clapping, and looked up to see a cloaked figure standing on the railing of the second floor.

"Who are you!?" Natsu asked, or more specifically, shouted.

The figure smirked and took off her hood. The cloaked figure was a she, and she had long black hair until her hips, and intimading red eyes.

"I'm this guild's Guild Master, going by the name of 'Soul'," she introduced.

"'Soul'? What a wierd name," Gray commented, snickering.

Soul just smirked and took out a pitch black dagger (even the blade is black) with red patterns and a long black katana.

She chuckled. "Well why don't we get this party started?"

Everyone got into their battle stances.

"Gladly," Erza smiled slyly.

* * *

**(A/N)**

CLIFFHANGER! There goes the second chapter of my first fanfic! Well, not really my first... It's my first _published _fanfic. I have more, but I don't plan on posting it :P

Was it long? (Random Person: No shit, Sherlock.)

I planned to make it long so that I could take away the guilt of not fulfilling my promise (to myself) to post it last Thursday... But it actually turned out to be shorter than Chapter 1 :( .

And, what's the point of Rogue's POV? O_O Honestly, I don't know. I just wrote it. Strange...

I don't have much confidence with this chapter because it's my first time writing something this... sad. And my Microsoft Word isn't working so I'm quite sure there are mistakes... Anyway, please tell me what you think by including it in the reviews! And in case you have some questions (anything), please feel free to ask!

See you on Part 2! :D


	3. Chapter 3: Cruel Fate Part II

**FATE**_**  
Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate?  
Main Pairing: StiCy or LucyxOC  
Rating: T for SafeT and Character Death  
**__**Genre: Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Humor**_  
**DISCLAIMER: **I DON'T own Fairy Tail and I DON'T even plan to!

Yay, I'm back~! Here it is! The _long _second part of Cruel Fate! In truth, Cruel Fate was actually only one chapter, but it would become too long. So I decided to split it. Part 1 is mainly the nightmare, while Part 2 consists of the battle and the _? (you'll find out! ^_^ I don't want to spoil any of you). I didn't double-check this, so I think there would be a lot of mistakes. English is just my second language :( !

I changed the genre to Romance and Drama simply because there would be more Drama than Humor.

Action scenes, coming up! I'm not so great at it, though. But anyway, just use your own Ark of Embodiment, or power of Imagination (^_^)...

I'll be replying to the reviews I got since chapter 1 via PMing, except, of course, for the guests :D. I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Cruel Fate Part 2  
****"I want them to live on. I'll die if it's for them."  
****Normal POV**

_In the forests around Settia Village..._

_Here's a short recap..._

A cloaked figure stood on the railing of the second floor.

"Who are you!?" Natsu asked, or more like, shouted.

The figure smirked and took off her hood. The cloaked figure was a she, and she had long black hair until her hips, and intimading red eyes.

"I'm this guild's Guild Master, going by the name of 'Soul'," she introduced.

"'Soul'? What a wierd name," Gray commented, snickering.

Soul just smirked and took out a pitch black dagger (even the blade is black) with red patterns and a long black katana.

She chuckled. "Well why don't we get this party started?"

Everyone got into their battle stances.

"Gladly," Erza smiled slyly.

* * *

Soul jumped down from the railing and plunged her katana on the wooden floor, creating a black shockwave that took the rest by surprise, disrupting their concentration. Taking advantage of their state of surprise, she dashed towards Erza. But due to Erza's high alertness, they clashed blades, each side not willing to back down.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu dashed towards Soul with a flaming fist. Swiftly, Soul pulled out her dagger and blocked Natsu's punch, astonishing the two mages. "Dark Wave!" Another shockwave came from the katana, knocking back both Natsu and Erza.

"Ice Make: Hammer!"

Soul sliced the air above her, narrowly slicing Gray's attack in two. She smirked at the flabbergasted ice mage and with recordbreaking speed, dashed towards him. "Ice Blade: Seven Strike Dance!" Ice blades formed on Gray's elbow and arm, and he ran to meet Soul. The two clashed, until Soul dashed _through_ him and sliced his ice blades. Soul turned around to attack Gray again but was stopped by a punch to her cheek.

"What the-!?"

She staggered a bit before glaring where the attack came from... but found no one. Then a shadow appeared behind her and kicked her forward. She rolled on the floor before skillfully getting back on her feet. She sensed a presence on her left and sliced it, barely cutting Rogue's chest. She smirked at Rogue's surprised face before following up with a roundhouse kick that threw him far back.

Then swords started raining around her. She raised her katana and parried the swords heading her way. She dashed towards Erza.

"Heaven's Wheel: Trinity Sword!" Using two of her swords, Erza slashed the air in a delta formation towards Soul, who tried fighting it with her katana.

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Flames enveloped Natsu (who was not far from Erza) and he charged towards Soul. Since Soul was occupied and had no time to try to counter it, she took the hit and was thrown into the wall with such force that she created a mini-crater. Dust enveloped her.

Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Rogue stood in front of Sting and Lucy protectively (Lucy being in the back). Their eyes narrowed as they saw the dust clearing and heard their enemy's sinister cackle.

"Ahahaha! Good, good! You brats are interesting! I haven't felt this excited for a long time!" she smirked and narrowed her eyes at the group. "Sadly, this will all end. _You're all gonna die."_

Lucy froze. Soul's words echoes in her head. _You're all gonna die. Die. Die..._ Her eyes widened and she started trembling. Sting noticed this and held an arm in front of her protectively. Lucy visibly relaxed a bit at his gesture.

Soul dashed towards the group with her poised katana. With immense skill, she manages to block most of Erza's attack and at the same time dodging and parrying some of Natsu, Gray, Sting, and Rogue's attacks.

Soul noticed Lucy and smirked. "And who's this? Your princess?" She licked her lips. Lucy froze.

"Fantastic."

In a blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Lucy.

"Luce!/Lucy!"

Soul hit Lucy on the side with the end of her katana's handle. Lucy winced and grasped her side in pain. She screamed as Soul followed up by slashing at her body with speed and skill that rivalled Erza's.

Sting appeared beside Soul, grabbed her torso, and threw her back. Soul staggered on her feet. Her eyes widened as she realized she can't move. "Wh-what the heck is this!? I can't move!"

"The Claw of the White Dragon is a holy attack. A body that's marked by its stigmata loses its freedom." Sting positioned himself into his battle stance. The rest gathered beside him, ready to attack. Lucy, again, stood behind them, occasionally wincing in pain. But she took out a key and summoned Loke. Loke studied her Mistress with worry in his eyes, but he, too, readied himself for his own attack. "And with this, we'll defeat you!"

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

"Shadow Dragon's Roar!"

"Heaven's Wheel: Trinity Sword!"

"Ice Make: Cannon!"

"Regulus Impact!"

"White Dragon's Holy Breath!"

Soul only stood in her place with terror-filled eyes.

BOOM! **(A/N Sting wasn't using Dragon Force, so his Holy Breath this time shouldn't create a massive crater. At least, that's what I think...)**

A large explosion occured, destroying the front of the building. Once the smoke cleared, Soul was on her knees with numerous bruises and scratches, struggling to stay conscious. She slowly raised her head and glared at the group. Erza walked towards her cautiously, followed by the rest of her team including Loke.

"Surrender immediately. You've got no chance to win against us."

Lucy signaled Loke to leave and he disappeared with a poof. She walked towards the rest of her team and stood behind Sting, staring at the battered Soul.

Soul smirked and chuckled. Black aura started seeping out from her body, and her eyes became dull and lifeless, earning suprised expressions from the gang.

"If _I've_ got no chance to win..."

The black aura formed a weirdly-shaped black figure above her with a gigantic red eye in the middle of its head. **(A/N The shape is kinda like Up-grade from Ben 10)**. The figure grinned mischievously.

"Then how about _one of you_?" the black blob sinisterly hissed.

Before the team could react, the black blob sped towards Lucy and enveloped her, muffling her blood-curdling screams. A black wave shot out from Lucy and pushed back the rest. In the corner of their eyes, they saw Soul drop to the ground, unconscious. But the strange thing was that her eyes weren't red anymore, but a dull and lifeless green color.

The blob continued enveloping Lucy and slowly oozing inside her, while Lucy trashed around trying to fight it. Every time Sting and the others would go near her, another wave will shoot out from the black _thing._

Ever so slowly, the blob entered Lucy's body until eventually, no traces of it could be seen except for small black particles that leak out of her body. Sting and the rest gaped at Lucy whose body stopped trembling. Cautiously, they neared her, Sting in the lead.

Suddenly, her head shot up and her eyes glared at them. Their own eyes widened, for Lucy's brown eyes that once held a gentle and loving shine was gone, and was replaced with blood red eyes full of evil intent and bloodlust.

Bloodthirsty Lucy dashed towards them with the same speed as Soul's and attacked each of them with a volley of punches and kicks, despite Lucy's injured body. They weren't able to fight back much, knowing they would be hurting Lucy, too.

'Lucy' laughed sinisterly at them. "Ha! Losers! I knew it! You all become helpless if I use the body of your _friend_! Ahahaha!" she cackled, then her body started to jerk. "Tch, damn brat! Stop fighting back, will ya!?" 'Lucy' shouted. Her friends' heads shot up and stared at her with hope-filled eyes.

Lucy was fighting. They should, too.

Slowly, they got back up and glared at 'Lucy'. She flinched a bit at their glares but quickly regained her composure. "So, what are you all going to do? Are you going to attack your own friend? Tsk. Scums..."

"Why should we care? You aren't our nakama," Gray shot back.

"And we aren't scums," Erza followed.

"YOU are," Natsu hissed.

"Luce's fighting, so we can't just stand around and watch her struggle," Sting stated.

Rogue gave 'Lucy' a glare that could make even Erza cower in fear.

Everyone got into their battle stances and rushed towards 'Lucy', being careful enough not to land major blows on her.

The battle raged on for a long time, until everyone was crouching down and panting, spread out in a circle around 'Lucy'. All of them had numerous bruises and scratches, but they kept glaring at 'Lucy'.

'Lucy' stood in the middle of them all, with a severely injured body, but not too injured. Between pants, she smirked. "Fighting like that won't save your friend, you know," she said.

Sting, Natsu, and Gray's eyes widened, while Erza and Rogue just glared at her.

"I'm the Soul of Dread." 'Lucy' stretched her arms and the dagger that previously belonged to Soul (the pitch black one) appeared. She grabbed it and its red patterns started glowing.

"Only this dagger, the Soul Reaper, could defeat me and save your friend. All I have to do is cut this body with this dagger and it would absorb my Soul. Then, I'll be gone!" she snickered. "But of course, I wouldn't do that. This is just so much fun, you know!" She cackled loudly, sending chills down the spines of the gang.

She turned towards them with a maniacal stare. "Now then, what would you do?"

**Lucy POV**

I was surrounded by darkness, and all I could do was watch everything through a hole in the darkness. What should I do? What _can_ I do? I'm sure everyone wouldn't want hurting me, so I have to fight Soul myself. **(A/N I'll just call the Soul of Dread, Soul. It's easier that way. Also, it's a she.)**

_"Only this dagger, the Soul Reaper, could defeat me and save your friend. All I have to do is cut this body with this dagger and it would absorb my Soul. Then, I'll be gone!" _

Soul's words echoed inside my head. "That's it!" I exclaimed. Then I heard a cackle in the darkness. I turned around and saw the same black blob that attacked me a while ago. I assume that's the Soul of Dread. I gathered up all the courage I could muster and faced it. "What do you want?" I challenged.

Soul chuckled. "I see you've thought of something?" she asked in a menacing way.

I glared at it. "Yes. All I have to do is take back control over my body and use the dagger to destroy you!"

Soul laughed, which annoyed me. "It's not as easy as you think." It turned its red eye towards me and stared. "You have to plunge it straight into the heart to fully destroy me! If not, I would have a chance to escape and move to one of your friends, you know?" It laughed again after that small explanation, then it glared at me menacingly.

"In order to save your friends, you'll have to die."

My eyes widened. "_In order to save your friends, you'll have to die". Die? I'll have to die?_ I looked down and clenched my fists. _But it's for them, so I'll..._

I felt water flow down from my eyes, but I didn't make a move to wipe it off. _If I die, everyone will be sad..._

Then an image from my previous nightmare appeared in front of me - the image of Sting crying.

_"Luce, why? Why did you have to leave? Why?"_

His shaky voice echoed in my ears. _If I die, Sting would be in despair. I wouldn't be able to stand seeing him like that..._

Then I heard Soul chuckle in amusement as she watched Sting and the others fight 'me' through the hole. The words that came out of her mouth next struck me.

"They die or you die."

My eyes widened. If_ they die... I don't think I'd be able to live my life like it used to be. The loss would be too great. I wouldn't be able to live without them. And if I die, the scene I saw in my dream would happen in real life. I wouldn't want to see them like that either. _

_But, they'd be able to move on. After getting over my death, they would be able to live life again. I'd rather die than live my life alone without my friends and Sting. I want them to live on. I'll die if it's for them. _

I clenched my teeth and looked up at Soul. She was grinning mischievously. "I love seeing people suffer like you and them! Hahahaha!"

I stood up and glared at her. She looked at me, curious to see what I would do. "I know what to do now," I hissed as I bared my teeth. I pounced on her and fought. She trashed around, trying to escape my grasp, but I made sure she wouldn't.

"W-what the hell are you doing!?"

"I'm taking over."

After a lot of trashing and fighting, she weakened and disappeared. I felt my consciousness coming back and my vision started blurring...

**Normal POV**

The rest watched as 'Lucy' started twitching and trembling. "W-what the hell are you doing!?" she hissed. Then they heard another voice, a familiar one, saying, "I'm taking over." They gasped in surprise once they heard Lucy, _their Lucy and the true Lucy_, speak.

Their eyes widened as they watched Lucy's body twitch and tremble. They saw her eyes transit between red and brown. The twitching eventually lessened and her eyes was of a dull brown, still without its usual shine.

She looked at each of them, and smiled a sad smile. "I'm sorry. It was my fault this happened. It's my fault you're all hurt." Their eyes widened (even Rogue's).

"L-Luce, is that you?" Sting cautiously asked. Lucy slowly faced him and flashed a small smile. "I-It's you!" He ran towards Lucy and wrapped her with his arms. Everyone followed suit and hugged her, creating a small group hug.

The moment was ruined however, by a small squeak. They loosened their grasp on Lucy and noticed that she was twitching again. "No..." she managed to say. Soul of Dread was starting to gain control again.

"L-Luce-" Sting reached out to her, but she backed away. "Luce?" Everyone looked at her with confusion and worry written all over their face.

"Oh no, I-I'm running o-out of t-time," Lucy muttered. She slowly raised the hand that was holding the Soul Reaper and brought it close to her chest.

"L-Lucy! What are you doing?!"

"I h-have to...do t-this..." With that, Lucy stabbed her chest with the dagger, blood spurting out. The dagger's red patterns started glowing and black aura started seeping out of her body.

Everyone's eyes widened in horror at the sight. They could hear high-pitched shrieks that didn't seem to belong to Lucy. They froze on the spot, not knowing what to do. They covered their faces with their hands to shield themselves from the red light.

Eerie, red light surrounded Lucy and more of the black aura seeped out, not to mention more of the blood-curdling high-pitched screams.

Lucy struggled to keep herself conscious. Finally, she heard the last scream of the Soul of Dread, "NOOOO!" and with that, all of the remaining black aura seeped out of her. Seconds later, the red light disappeared. Lucy pulled out the dagger and it dropped to the ground.

She staggered, and just as she was about to fall, Sting ran up and caught her.

**(A/N Start playing BGM: Fairy Tail Theme Piano Version, the sad theme song of the anime, from here :) )**

Everyone gathered around Lucy and Sting. They looked down at Lucy with worry in their eyes. Lucy's eyes were open, but it was still lifeless. Sting gently shook Lucy. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked. Lucy moved her head to face Sting. "Sting...? Is that you?"

Sting's eyes widened, and so did the rest's. "You...you can't see us?" he asked shakily. "Luce, we're right here beside you," Natsu said. Lucy shook her head sadly.

Everyone was crestfallen. Silence fell around them. They looked at each other, not knowing what to do, until Lucy broke the silence.

"Ne, can all of you promise me that you'll live on after this?" she looked up and faced them, despite not being able to see them.

"Wh-what are you talking about, Luce? Of course we'll live on. You will, too," Sting replied, but he felt as if his heart was breaking into pieces and that his throat was clogged.

Lucy shook her head again. "The only way to destroy the Soul of Dread was stab the body it possessed with the Soul Reaper," she chuckled mirthlessly. "I'm so hopeless, really. I was targeted because I was the weakest among all of us."

Gray spoke up. "Hey, don't start with those useless crap again! You're not weak. How many times do we have to tell you that?" His voice was starting to crack.

Lucy paid no heed to his words though. "But it's worth it. If I hadn't fought against Soul and stabbed myself, who knows what could have happened to you guys." Everyone kept their eyes on her. They didn't know what to say as they felt tears welling up in their eyes. Even Rogue's usually calm face was faltering.

"I'll ask this again... Can you guys promise me something? That after all this, none of you will cry for nights and that none of you will lock yourself up in your rooms, isolate yourselves from the world, and suffer alone? And also, that none of you will blame yourselves for my death? I made this choice so that all of you will be able to live on. I wouldn't be able to stand seeing all of you suffer because of my death," Lucy continued.

"L-Luce...w-what nonsense are you spouting? Y-you're coming home with us. Back to F-Fairy Tail. You won't d-die here." Sting's eyes were starting to water. Sting moved his other hand under Lucy's knees and was about to lift her up but Lucy stopped him. "No, Sting. It's okay. Put me down. I know I won't be able to last until...home," she muttered the last word.

Everyone's eyes started to water as they stared at Lucy, who was also looking up at them with tear-filled eyes. She smiled a sad smile. Then she looked up at Sting and slowly raised her hands and cupped his cheek. "And you, especially. Don't blame yourself for this. It was my own choice. Don't go hitting on other girls while I'm gone, okay?" she croaked. Although she can't see Sting, she knew he was crying. She could hear everyone's sobs, too.

She smiled a small smile, and tried to wipe some of the tears that were flowing down Sting's cheeks. But it was to no avail, because Sting was crying nonstop. "Tell everyone in Fairy...Tail, too. I want... all of you to... know that I.. love you. And... I... always... will..."

The world seemed to go in slow motion, as Lucy's hand dropped and collided with the floor. Sting felt her body fall limp on his arms and the world stopped then and there.

"L-Luce? Hey, wake up," he forced himself to speak. He shook Lucy's body gently. "We still have to go back to Fairy Tail, you know. Stop playing with us." By now, a waterfall of tears was pouring down from his face. "Luce, stop the fun and games! I'm serious here! Wake up! Come on!" He shook Lucy's body a little more vigorously. "Hey, Lucy! Blondie, wake up! Please!" he croaked.

Rogue set a hand on Sting's shoulder and shook his head. "Stop, Sting."

"What are you talking about, Rogue? Help me out here! Help me wake up this Blondie,"

"Sting, stop. You're making it harder for us and yourself..." It was Erza's turn to speak now. Her face couldn't be seen, but it was clear she was crying.

Natsu didn't say anything. He dropped to the ground and stared at Lucy's lifeless body, his fists clenching and unclenching, and his tears flowing nonstop.

Gray was quiet, his face hidden behind his raven bangs. His teeth was clenched, and his tears, like Natsu's, were flowing nonstop.

"Why are you all quiet? Help me out! Hey!" Sting called out desperately. He was shaking Lucy's body desperately. "Wake up! Wake up, silly!"

Finally, he can't take it anymore and broke down. He pulled Lucy's body close to his chest, trapping her in a tight embrace.

"Why? Why?!" he muttered between sobs. He tightened his grip.

"LUCY!"

* * *

**(A/N)**  
WAAH! T_T To those who wished that Lucy won't die, I'm sorry!

I know the ending is kind of crappy... I don't know if it turned out to be sad... I'm not good at writing sad scenes... I just hope you guys felt at least...something? T_T Did you listen to the bgm I added? It's optional, but I thought it would fit the scene...

Oh, and this isn't the end of the story, yet! Don't be discouraged that Lucy died!

NOTE(and FY SPOILER?): I got the idea of Lucy's death from the death of Fushigi Yuugi's Chiriko. She was possessed by the enemy and she stabbed herself to kill the spirit (was it a spirit?). Remembering that scene makes me tear up T_T

I didn't think it would be THIS long... The battle made it long... And if you guys are wondering what happened to Soul, or more specifically, her previous body, she woke up later before they turned the dark guild members over to the officials. She couldn't remember a single thing.

And was there any OOC character? I'm hyperventilating here...

I should stop writing long Author's Notes...

**Review Responses**:

**Psyka: **Masterpiece? Hehe... I won't call it that, though. I don't think it's that great... Thanks! ^_^ Thank you for reading and reviewing! I appreciate sooo much! ^_^

**ninjapanda: **I know how you feel! The reason I ship StiCy is because there's so much NaLu out there (no offense to NaLu shippers!). Plus, I REALLY LOVE this pairing. KAWAII~!

Alright...See you in the next chapter: _His Most Precious Treasure_

Don't forget to review! :D


	4. Chapter 3-5: His Most Precious Treasure

**FATE**_**  
Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate?  
Main Pairing: StiCy or LucyxOC  
Rating: T for SafeT and Character Death  
**__**Genre: Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Humor**_  


**DISCLAIMER: **I DON'T own Fairy Tail! Nor STICY!  
**(Edit 5/9/13: Added the quote and the last few lines of My Most Precious Treasure. I forgot them last time~ Hehe... And I fixed some minor mistakes here in this chapter. *sigh* This is what I get for rushing...)**

Hello~! I bring to you Fate Chapter 3.5: His Most Precious Treasure. It focuses on Lucy's funeral and Sting's memories of him and Lucy~. I made it 3.5 because it's sort of a continuation of the last chapter. And it's almost like a one-shot.

Even though this should be something like an extra, it's long... Heck, even longer than the previous chapter. I just kept writing and writing... *sigh* And I kinda rushed this so that I could get on to Chapter 4, already. So since this is a bit rushed, expect some mistakes here and there. But I'll be editing it from time to time...Anyway, I hope you'll like it!

Once again, I'm sorry that I made Lucy die! But it doesn't end here! I promise! (This story would have 10+chapters)

Warning: StiCy fluff! :D Oh, and try listening to the songs I used while reading. It may add to the effect!

_Italics: Flashback/Memories  
_Normal: Narration/Speech  
_Italicized Center Text: Song_

* * *

**Chapter 3.5: His Most Precious Treasure  
****"You are the best that has ever been mine."**

**Normal POV****  
**The skies were gray and the clouds were crying. It was a fitting environment for the depressing state Fairy Tail was in. The crowd of Fairy Tail mages were gathered in Acalypha's cemetery. They were crying, no doubt. Crying for a loved one that has passed away. Crying for Lucy.

They had always known that Lucy wanted to be together with her family one day, so they decided to bury her beside her parents. They could only imagine Lucy laughing along with her family happily in heaven. The thought made them cry even more.

The members of Team Natsu were one of the nearest to the grave. Rogue was with them, and Sting... Sting was the one in front. He was crying uncontrollably, and his tears were far more than when he cried for Lector back then. Almost instantly, memories of Lucy started flooding his mind, and he really wished that it hadn't.

(Song: "Koe wo Kikasete/Let Me Hear Your Voice" by Hatsune Miku)

_Let me hear your voice_

_And call my name_

_Stay by my side _

_We made the promise then..._

_"Lucy!" Sting called. He ran around frantically in the collapsing castle of Mercurius, searching for Lucy. Faintly, he caught the sound of her singing voice and scent and ran towards the direction it came from. _Why was she singing?

_He found her knelt down on the ground, crying and singing incomprehensible words. He nudged her. "Lucy! I have to get you out of here!" Lucy turned around to face him. "S-Sting? Wh-" Before she could speak, Sting picked her up bridal style and quickly got up to find a way to get out. After a lot of running around, they arrived out of the castle. _

_"Sting, why did you-" Lucy started, but was interrupted._

_"I saved you because I wanted to." Sting looked down at her, at her doe brown eyes. "Lucy, I love you. Ever since that night we first met in Fiore's park, I felt myself being drawn to you." He paused, waiting for a reaction, but when none came, he sighed. "It's alright if you don't return it. I will still stay by your side all the time. All that matters to me is that you're safe."_

_"What are you saying?" Sting's eyes widened as he looked at Lucy. She smiled. "I love you, too." Sting's eyes softened and he smiled a genuine smile. Unfortunately, their moment was interrupted by whoops and cheers (and shouts of disapproval). The couple gaped at the crowd in front of them._

_The warmth is in the white room_

_A cold chair stands alone there_

_We shared this room together till yesterday_

_Now it's too ample for me_

_"KYAA! What are you doing in MY apartment!?" _

_"What are you saying? Salamander's always coming here. Don't I have the right, too?"_

_Lucy sighed in defeat and she slumped down in her couch. "All right, all right." Sting sat beside her, put his arms around her, and pulled her close. "Just tell me why you're here."_

_"I wanted to see my angel."_

_"Why didn't you use the door?"_

_"I'm lazy."_

_"The Great Sting Eucliffe, lazy? Seriously?"_

_"Hey, even I am a human, too."_

_"Humans don't use the window to get in."_

_"Well... then how about Natsu-san?"_

_"He's a dragon slayer."_

_Sting sighed. "Nevermind, Blondie. I use the window when I want to and I use the door when I want to."_

_"Yeah, yeah. You're blonde, too!"_

_"That's what makes us soulmates, right?"_

Sting chuckled, but it came out hollow. More tears fell as he remembered that he always slept in Lucy's apartment after her death. He had always _tried_ to pretend she was still there. Alive.

_The clock arm ticks_

_Litle by little_

_I can't see the scene _

_We used to share_

_"This is a nice place you picked, Sting." Lucy scanned the 5-star restaurant she was in with awe. She smiled and faced her boyfriend. "Fitting for our first date."_

_Sting shrugged. "There's nothing the Great Sting Eucliffe can't afford." He watched as Lucy stared out the gigantic windows at the stars. He knew of her love for the stars, so he picked this restaurant. He smiled. Lucy's brown eyes reflected the light of the stars, and it sparkled and shone with excitement. He chuckled._

Sting chuckled and smiled at the memory as he slowly walked to Lucy's coffin. But it did no help to stop his seemingly never-ending tears.

_Hear my voice_

_And listen to my saying_

_I'm still here_

_I'm here_

_"AAAH!"_

_Sting opened his eyes to the blonde beside him (apparently, he snuck in her apartment again and slept beside her). He sat up and pulled her close, saying soothing words for her to calm down from her nightmare._

_"It's okay. I'm here."_

Tears fell. Sting knelt down beside her coffin and croaked, "I'm right here, Luce." He cried as he reread the inscription.

Here lies the Star that fell from the heavens  
The Angel of Smiles  
We will cherish and remember you always  
Lucy Heartfilia  
X767-X791  
When someone you love becomes a memory  
The memory becomes a treasure.  
And here, sleeps ours.

_Your impression remains in this room_

_It doesn't fade and watches me behind_

_I wanna touch it but I can't_

_I hold out my hand only to cut the air_

"You know, Luce, even when you're gone, I always see you, with that big smile on your face."

Rogue looked at his partner with concern and sadness in his tear-filled eyes.

_"Sting, you should rest."_

_Sting looked up at his partner, Rogue. He was sitting on a table with him and all he did was cover his face with his hands and cry. "I'm okay," he muttered. "No, you're not. Being here in the guild would just worsen your condition, since everyone is also depressed."_

_"Good morning!" With a jolt, Sting turned towards the now-open door. His eyes widened as he saw a familiar blonde walk in with a smile on her face. "L-Luce?"_

_"What are you looking at, Sting?" As soon as Rogue said that, the image disappeared. And Sting's eyes watered as he faced his partner. Rogue sighed. "Sting, you're seeing things. You should rest."_

_"Yeah... I think I should."_

_Today a new morning_

_Leads to its way again_

_I might not stop crying_

_But I'll raise my head_

"Luce!" Natsu's voice rang through the clearing. He continued shouting things like 'She's just sleeping!' and 'Wake up!', but he, too, was crying. Erza and Gray held him back with all the strength they could muster, for they were weak because of crying.

Sting clung on the coffin and hugged it. He looked up at the sky and let it wash his face, trying to get rid of his tears. But his cries were loud enough to drown out the racket Natsu was creating.

_Hear my voice_

_And listen to my words_

_I'll remember you forever_

_I'll remember you..._

"Earth has one gentle soul less; Heaven has one special angel more," Makarov spoke up. "You are gone, while we remain until the day we meet again. Your life will be a beautiful memory, but your absence our silent grief."

Through his blurry vision, Sting looked at the Master as he continued.

"Those we love don't go away, because everyday, they walk with us. Lucy, God took you from your home, but never from our hearts. You taught us many things in life that we would have to do. But... you never taught us how to cope... with the hurt of losing you... Lucy, we promise. We will live on for your sake."

_Let me hear your voice_

_And call my name_

_I'll stay by your side_

_We made the promise then_

_I still keep the promise then..._

_(end of song)_

_Fireworks covered the night sky. Lucy and Sting sat on a hill, quietly watching. Lucy's head was resting on Sting's shoulder, and Sting's arm was around her shoulders._

_"I love you, Sting."_

_"I love you, too, Luce."_

_"Ne, let's promise each other that we'll stay by each other's side at all times. That we won't leave the other alone, okay?"_

_"Of course, Luce. I promise." Their pinkies locked in a pinky-promise. They stared at each other's eyes, and leaned in for a kiss, momentarily forgetting the noise the fireworks finale was creating._

"Lucy, we made a promise, remember? Even now, with you gone, I will still never leave your side. I will love you always, for eternity." Sting sobbed and hugged the coffin. "You should keep your promise too, you know. Not that I think you broke it..." He chuckled. "Don't let other guys flirt with you up there, okay? Tell them I'll beat them up when I meet them." He chuckled again, mirthlessly.

(Song: "My Most Precious Treasure" English Adaptation by AmaLee)

_Long before we each said goodbye_

_All our fights would make hate appear_

_I don't know why those are the days_

_I hold dear_

_"Blondie."_

_"Stingy bee."_

_"Why a bee?"_

_"Because you're stingy."_

_"I'm not."_

_"You are."_

_"Not."_

_"You are."_

_"I'm not, Blondie!"_

_"Stop calling me Blondie, Blondie!"_

_"Then stop calling me Stingy Bee!"_

_"Why should I?"_

_"So I'll stop calling you Blondie. Weren't you even listening?"_

_"ARRRG! I WAS listening!"_

Sting chuckled mirthlessly. "Blondie..." he muttered softly. It might have been his imagination, but he knew he heard a heavenly laugh.

_You taught me how to be so fearless_

_Always pushing me further each day_

_Saying, "You can overcome it all_

_And find happiness along the way if you try"_

_Sting sat on a barstool, beside Lucy. He wasn't in his arrogant state right now. Lucy looked at him and studied him. He was staring at his glass, deep in thought. She immediately knew what was bothering him._

_"Sting," she called._

_"...What?" he replied._

_"Your past may come back to haunt you, Sting. I know the feeling. But the past is past. Do not dwell in it and do not fear it."_

_Sting sighed. "It isn't that easy."_

_"I never said it was easy... Concentrate your mind on the present. You're strong, Sting. That's why I know you'll be able to find happiness if you try."_

_Sting was taken aback for a second, before he smiled. Then he turned to Lucy, who had a big smile. He smirked._

_"I've found it already."_

_I'll go on alone with the pain_

_And I swear that I won't complain_

_'Cause I have the dream you gave me_

_To keep me strong just how I should be._

_"Sting!"_

_"What?! You're blonde, too!"_

_"Stingy bee!"_

_"Mou~!"_

Images of Lucy's smiles, laughter, and even her pouting face filled Sting's head. He mumbles Lucy's name over and over again while wrapping his arms around Lucy's coffin like it was actually her.

_You were once what made me happy_

_What I once had called my everything_

_But it faded and I could see_

_Being with you was all just a dream_

_Sting opened the window to Lucy's apartment. He scanned the room, taking in every detail. This wasn't his first visit to her apartment ever since she died. His eyes landed on a paper that was tucked in (not neatly) in her drawer. He took it out and read the contents:_

_Dear Mom,_

_You know, I remember you telling me stories about you and Dad. How sweet he was, how your dates were, and everything... I've always wanted to experience those things and find the one meant for me._

_And I met Sting. _

_Mom, I think he's the one for me. He's the one who could truly make me happy (and annoyed, sometimes). He's my everything, Mom._

_Okay, I have to go to sleep._

_Night,_

_Lucy._

_Salty tears dropped on the paper, but Sting didn't care. He held the letter tight as he slept on Lucy's bed._

_I once thought we would always be _

_And never cross the finish line _

_But I knew that was just a wish_

_Of mine_

_Lucy and some other girls were seated around a table. Not far from them was Sting, who was eavesdropping their conversation. He didn't have anything better to do, anyway._

_"Hey, Lucy, we've been itching to ask you this..."_

_"Hm? What is it, Levy-chan?"_

_"Couldn't you have chosen Natsu, instead?"_

_"...Ah?"_

_Erza joined in. "Or maybe Gray."_

_Apparently Juvia heard it. "No! I think Loke might have been better!"_

_Lisanna decided to join in. "How about that guy from Blue Pegasus?"_

_Cana opened her mouth to speak but Lucy stopped her. "Okay, look guys-" She was interrupted by her boyfriend's fists banging on the table._

_"WE are an item and we always would be!"_

_The girls burst out laughing at his outburst and Lucy smiled at him, causing him to blush (of embarassment)._

_"What an idiot." Lucy laughed._

_I don't regret being born any longer_

_I have learned to cherish life _

_'Cause you gave me all you had and more _

_Though we now move on our separate ways _

_Without strife_

_"Oi, Sting, about your past-" Natsu started, but was interrupted by Rogue who gave him a glare. Sting raised an eyebrow. "What about it?" he asked. Gajeel, Rogue, Wendy, and even Natsu gaped at him._

_"About...your parents?" Natsu carefully asked._

_"Ah, that. Weisslogia told me I'd get stronger if I killed him. Although I hesitated, he insisted. So..." he trailed off. But Rogue noticed that his eyes didn't hold its usual sadness whenever he recalls it._

_"Sting, what happened?" Rogue asked. Sting stared at him blankly. "I mean, you seem...different, when you talked about that," he continued. "Ah..." Sting chuckled. He looked at Lucy who was sitting in front of Mirajane and smiled. "She taught me not to dwell in the past, so I complied."_

_The other dragon slayers looked at each other and smiled._

_I'll go on alone with the pain _

_And I swear that I won't complain _

_'Cause I'll have the dream you gave me_

_To keep me strong just how I should be_

Sting looked up at the sky, his eyes were still watery and red from all the crying.

"You made us promise that we won't depress ourselves... We're trying... Luce... And it's hard for me. But you told me that I shouldn't dwell in the past, because I'm strong enough to handle it. Luce, for you, I'll remain strong. Heck, maybe even stronger. I know you're watching us from up in heaven, and I'll show you that I'm able to live on."

The rest looked at him, listening to his every word.

_Even if I am far from you _

_When there's more than distance between us_

_I will pick myself up once more_

_With the strength I have thanks to you _

"Even if we're seperated, no matter how far apart we are, I will live a new morning." Sting raised his hand to wipe off his tears. As if on cue, the clouds parted and sunlight dawned on the mages. As they looked up, they all can't help but feel that Lucy was watching them from heaven, and listening to their words.

Sting smiled. The sunlight dried up their tears, like what Lucy would do when she sees them crying.

_I'll go on alone with the pain _

_Though I want to die I'll restrain _

_It's your voice that I can still hear_

_Like a light that will not disappear _

"Lucy, I love you. And I know you don't want to see me - no, us - depressed, so I'll try not to. But every time we try to move on, we seem to always hear your laughter... and then we go all depressed again," he chuckled and smiled.

Behind him, everyone was smiling at him. Rogue was also happy that Sting was starting to recover.

_Even if it's hard to move on _

_Even if I cannot stop my tears_

_My heart is warm because of you _

_And I'll hold that dear for all my years_

"Even if it's difficult, even if I cry because of loneliness, I could still feel your warmth, and it encourages me for even just a tiny bit." Sting wiped the tears that were threatening to drop down. He looked up again at the sky. For a moment, he thought he saw Lucy's smiling face. He turned around and saw everyone smiling at the sky and thought that they, too, were seeing what he was seeing.

And that made him smile.

_Our time came and went by so fast _

_I now look back and make it last _

_I cannot recall what broke us _

_Into pieces like inside my heart_

"Lucy, I will never forget the times I spent with you. Although it might slow down my recovery, I will never, ever forget you." Sting stood up and turned his gaze on Lucy's coffin as it was being lowered in the ground.

Rogue put a hand on his left shoulder and gave him a hopeful and reasurring smile. He turned to his right and saw the rest of Team Natsu smiling at him. He turned around and faced the rest of Fairy Tail who also wore smiles on their faces.

_If I close my eyes I can hear_

_Someone laughing long ago with me _

_To this day I've held that right here_

_'Cause you're still my most precious treasure_

Sting looked back to the sky and chuckled. "Even now, I could still hear your voice, loud and clear." He paused and smiled.

"You are everything to me. You are the best that has ever been mine. That's why I'll always be by your side. I'll be visiting your grave to talk to you. Not one day will pass without me talking to you, Lucy, because you are, and always will be, my most precious treasure."

He glanced at Lucy's coffin/grave one last time then turned around as everyone starts leaving the place, calling for him.

"Sting." A voice called for him from behind. He stopped in his footsteps and abruptly turned around to face the grave again. His eyes widened at the sight before him.

_Still right here..._

_Right here..._

_Always here._

Lucy stood there in all her beauty. Her golden hair shone under the spotlight of the sun. The smile that adorned her lips seemed to magnify the light surrounding her. He gaped at her, not believing what he was seeing. Seconds passed, and Sting regained his composure and smiled back. He mouthed, "I love you." It seemed like Lucy heard what he said and smiled as she, too, mouthed an "I love you."

_You're still my most precious treasure._

_(end of song)_

"Sting-kun!" Sting heard Lector's voice calling for him and turned around. "Yeah! Just a sec!" He turned to face Lucy again, but found her gone. He smiled.

"See you later, Luce."

* * *

If I should go tomorrow

It would never be goodbye,

For I have left my heart with you,

So don't you ever cry.

- Unknown

* * *

**(A/N)  
**T_T WAAAH! *sniff* I cried a bit typing this... then the song added to the effect! It made me cry even more...

The first song I used, "Koe wo Kikasete/Let Me Hear Your Voice" by Hatsune Miku is a wonderful and emotional song that added to the effect of the first part. I also changed some lines to match the flashback and/or that particular funeral scene.

And the second song, "Ichiban no Takaramono/The Most Precious Treasure" by LiSA (GirlDeMo) was used as an insert song in Angel Beats! Episode 10. The lyrics I put here is the english adaptation by AmaLee, though. But both versions are great! I didn't use the original version by Karuta because, in my opinion, it was more on friendship.

Please tell me how this chapter turned out and how you guys think of it by reviewing! I wanted to know if there was enough emotion in this fic :) I want to know about your opinions on the memories.

I really need to stop writing long Author's Notes... This is just boring y'all, right? *sigh*

Don't forget to review! T_T (I'm still crying...*sniff*)


	5. Chapter 4: Resurrection

**FATE**_**  
Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate?  
Main Pairing: StiCy or LucyxOC  
Rating: T for SafeT and Character Death  
**__**Genre: Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Humor**_  
**DISCLAIMER: **I AM NOT HIRO MASHIMA! Therefore I don't own Fairy Tail.

I'm back~! Here is chapter 4 of Fate! Although I'm sooo late... (it rhymed!) I was planning to post this last Monday, but I had guitar lessons :( . I hope this chapter will make up for my lost time and I WISH I would be able to post chapters faster T_T!

Ugh. I don't really like this chapter... I had a hard time writing this, my brain just wouldn't work... *frustrated sigh*

To avoid me becoming so talkative, I'll go straight to the point: READ ON! (Remember: English is just my second language.)

* * *

**Chapter 4: Resurrection  
****"I choose to go back, to Fairy Tail, to my Nakama... and to Sting****.****"**

**Lucy POV**

_Ugh... What's with the sudden bright light...? _I groggily opened my eyes, sat up, and scanned my surroundings. _Where... am I?_

I was on a small hill, in the middle of a lush green meadow, surrounded by colorful wild flowers that gave off a sweet fragrance. Somewhere a little far off was a small river with crystal clear waters winding its way through the field. The sky was clear and blue, and the sun shone just right. _Is this... Heaven? _I stood up and eyed my surroundings with awe. What I was seeing was a truly magnificent sight. I could see a gigantic castle far in the distance, laden with presumably gold, diamond, and precious stones. "How beautiful..." I muttered.

"Isn't it?" said a kind and gentle voice. I turned around to the source of the voice, and my eyes widened.

"M-Mama? Mama!"

Mama smiled and spread her arms wide. "Mama! I missed you! So much!" I ran towards her and gave her a crushing hug, not bothering to wipe the tears threatening to fall. "Now, now, Lucy, don't cry. I missed you too, sooo much." She brought her hands up and wiped the tears off my cheeks. She tilted my chin up to face her and she smiled at me. "Now, turn around." I did as she told and, once again, my eyes widened.

"Good to see you again, Lucy."

"P-Papa...?"

He smiled and walked slowly towards me. Then he tenderly wrapped his arms around me, enveloping me in his warm embrace. Unconsciously, tears ran down my cheeks. "Papa, I... I'm sorry, I... I was a bad daughter..." The words came out broken because of my muffled sobs.

"Hush, Lucy. It's okay," he comforted. "Now that I have seen you again, safe and sound, I couldn't ask for more." With that, he loosened his embrace and held me in arms-length. He brushed his thumb across my cheeks, wiping my tears, and smiled - a sight that I have missed seeing all these years. I muttered a 'thank-you' and the both of us turned around and walked to Mama. We walked, hand-in-hand, down the hill and across the flower fields, with no destination in mind.

"You did a splendid job, Lucy. I'm proud," Mama started, as we sat on the side of another hill, overlooking the crystal clear river.

I looked up at her from the flower crown I was crafting. "What do you mean, Mama?" Her expression softened, and she averted his gaze from me to the vast open field in front of us.

"You did a good job destroying the Soul of Dread to save your friends. You made such wonderful friends, too." At her words, my happy mood dropped. Bits of the incident started filling my mind, and I couldn't help but feel sadness and regret; not to mention the feeling of longing to meet my friends, because I wasn't able to see their faces before I died. Apparently, Mama and Papa noticed my sullen expression and they each put a hand on both of my shoulders.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Papa asked. I smiled a sad smile. "I-It's just that... I wasn't able to see their faces one last time. And I didn't give them a proper goodbye before I left... A-at least, that's how I feel," I replied. I saw them glance at each other knowingly, like they were having a silent conversation.

Slowly, they stood up. Papa held a hand in front of me, motioning me to get up. "Come, we'll show you something," he invited. Curiously, I accepted his invitation and he helped me up. He held my right hand tight, while Mama took the other.

We walked silently past the fields and through a small forest. Luckily, there were no sharp vines and thorny thickets, but only clear pathways and tall trees. After quite some time, I found myself in a vast clearing. The place looked beautiful. No, scratch that. It was _heavenly_, pun intended.

There was a large lake in the middle of the clearing, and like any other body of water here, the water was crystal clear. Surrounding the lake were a large variety of beautiful flowers - roses of red, white, and gold, yellow and orange marigold, daisies, lilies... pretty much all the kinds of flowers that grow on Earthland.

But what was really breathtaking was the perfectly still crystal waters that reflected the skies like a mirror. I could practically see the lake sparkling!

Behind me, I heard Mama and Papa giggle. Then a thought crossed my mind and I turned to face them. "What was it you wanted to show me?" I curiously asked, feeling that all traces of depression and tension that surrounded us a while ago has disappeared. They smiled and led me to the lake.

"This is the Lake of Memories, or otherwise known as God's Mirror, because it lets us see what's currently going on with our loved ones, as well as glimpse some of our past precious memories," Mama explained. I looked at her curiously. _And what does that have to do with me here? Not that I don't like it, but..._

Then Papa spoke up. "We occasionally came here to see how you were doing in Earthland, and we," he paused for a bit, glancing at me while I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "...happened to see that Soul of Dread incident through this," he stated carefully. Realization dawned on me, and I instantly knew why they brought me here.

"You said you weren't able to see your friends, so we decided to bring you here," Layla followed. She looked at me kindly before continuing. "But, the thing is, we don't know if what you will see will be for your liking..." she trailed off at the end. I glanced nervously between her and Papa. A part of me wants to try it out and the other part was hesitating, scared of what I might see.

I gulped, and slowly turned towards the Lake, carefully walking nearer to it. I stopped halfway, and turned around to my parents again. Both of them smiled at me and nodded, Mama adding, "Go when you're ready."

Once again, I gulped and turned to the Lake, which was now in front of me. "W-what do I d-do now?" I stammered. I heard them walk towards me, and they put a hand on my shoulders. "What do you want to see?" they asked. I thought for a moment and asked back, "How much time has passed since I died?"

"3 days."

"Then... From the day they returned to Fairy Tail without me..."

I glanced at them before turning to the Lake. To my surprise, the Lake was sparkling and glowing, ripples started surfacing, and images were appearing on the water... My eyes widened as I recognized them.

Sting, Natsu, Erza, and the others, and even the Fairy Tail building...

**Normal POV **

**(Opt. BGM: Fairy Tail OST - Kanashiki Kako "Sad Past" or any sad FT OST of your choice)**

_The group opened the doors to the guild, and were immediately greeted by cheers and praises from their fellow guildmates._

_"You're back!"_

_"We knew you'll make it!"_

_Master approached the group at the door, and noticed their sullen expressions, especially Sting's, who was silently crying. Carefully, he asked, "What's wrong? Where's Lucy?"_

_Slowly, Erza faced him and opened her mouth to reply. "G-gone..."_

_"What do you mean she's gone?"_

_"She's gone... She d-died."_

_Gasps and murmurs quickly filled the room. At first, they didn't believe them, but the look on their faces erased those thoughts. A dark atmosphere enveloped them, and the whole guild turned quiet._

_"N-no way, Lu-chan..." Levy sobbed. Gajeel put his hand on her back and rubbed circles, trying to comfort her, but he was also crestfallen._

_"A-and she wanted everyone to know that she loves us all, and she a-always will." _

_Sobs could be heard in the whole hall. Erza lowered her head and let her tears fall. Sting dropped to his knees and covered his face with his hands. Natsu and the others continued to sob and tried to wipe the tears threatening to fall. Wendy was blaming herself for not being there for her._

"No... Everyone, please don't cry... Wendy, it's okay... I..." Lucy dropped to her knees at the scene she saw, and let the tears drop freely. Her parents kneeled down beside her and muttered comforting words to her.

The scene on the Lake changed, and showed Lucy's apartment.

_Team Natsu and Sting entered Lucy's apartment. That one single place held so much memories to them, so when they entered, a wave of nostalgia hit them and they immediately broke down. They rummaged through Lucy's things, recalling all their past memories and reliving it. _

_Natsu sat on the floor beside her bed, with Happy beside him, their heads hung low._

_Sting laid down on her bed, taking in the scent that he has always loved, and cried._

_Erza rummaged through Lucy's drawers and closets, with an occasional blush. Memories of her and Lucy flooded her mind as she looked through Lucy's clothes._

_Gray sat near Lucy's desk and read her unfinished novel. He half-expected Lucy to scream at him, but when he remembered Lucy was dead..._

"E-everyone..." Lucy stuttered. Her sobs were making it hard for her to speak, and her vision was already getting blurry. Her head hung low, like she was _trying_ hard _not _to look. Her mother patted her shoulder. "Lucy, look. It's showing what's currently happening. Right now."

Obeying her mother's words, Lucy slowly raised her head to watch the next vision.

Again, the scene changed. This time, it showed a funeral scene.

"I-Is this... M-my funeral?"

_It was raining at the Acalypha cemetery. The whole Fairy Tail guild were gathered there, with the ones who were closest to Lucy near the front. _

_Levy and Mira were hugging each other, while Gajeel , Elfman, and Lisanna were behind them. Gajeel was silent. Drops of tears that would occassionally appear would be quickly wiped off._

_Wendy was on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Happy, Lector, and Frosch were beside her, and they were _trying _hard not to cry (especially Lector). Charle was nearer to Wendy, with her arms folded, letting her tears flow freely. Pantherlily was quietly crying beside her._

_Master's head was hung low, his hands folded at his back, as he spoke a heartwarming yet melancholic, speech._

_Unlike him, Gray was facing the sky, letting the rain wipe his tears away._

_Erza was covering her face, trying to muffle her sobs. She and Gray would occassionally stop Natsu from causing a racket._

_But right now, Natsu was on all fours, punching the ground and screaming Lucy's name from time to time._

_Rogue's eyes were overshadowed by his raven bangs, but it wasn't able to hide the tears that were evidently running down his cheek and chin._

_And lastly, Sting was by her coffin, crying loudly. He gripped the coffin like it was his only lifeline, muttering or shouting Lucy's name over and over, drowning out the racket Natsu would occasionally cause. To everyone's eyes, especially to Rogue's and Frosch's, his cries were louder and there were more tears than when Lector "died"._

Lucy felt her chest swell in pain and... regret. What she was seeing was worse than what she saw in her dream. No words can make it out of her throat, since, right now, she was crying uncontrollably. Then when her ears picked up Sting's voice, she jerked her head up to look at the Lake.

_"...You are everything to me. You are the best that has ever been mine."_

Magically and slowly, the images on the Lake started projecting out of the Lake. Lucy's eyes widened at the funeral scene right in front of her, although it was just a hologram caused by the Lake's magic.

Lucy stood up slowly, staggering a bit. Her parents helped her steady herself, whilst she kept her eyes on the scene in front of her.

_"... because you are, and always will be, my most precious treasure."_

Strangely, Lucy felt drawn to the projections. She trudged her way carefully to the lake. To her surprise, when she _stepped_ _in_ the water, her foot didn't sink in; instead, she was _standing on_ the Lake itself.

The clouds parted a bit and the sun shone on Lucy like a spotlight. Her parents stood by the shore, watching her as she made her way in front of the hologram of her coffin.

Everyone was starting to leave, and as Sting's hologram was about to follow, Lucy called out to him, inwardly praying that he would hear her.

"Sting."

To Lucy's happiness, Sting turned around and he gaped at her. Lucy smiled.

Sting regained his composure and mouthed... "I love you."

Lucy felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she happily returned it by saying, "I love you, too."

Once she saw Sting smile, she felt happiness welling up inside of her. It felt good to see his smile once again. He turned around and as she was about to reach out to him, the projection started disintegrating.

Sting turned around once again, and said, "See you later, Luce."

Then he disappeared completely.

Lucy sunk down to her knees, her tears making ripples on the lakewater. Her parents called for her, and she reluctantly trudged towards them. They slowly set her on the ground, wiping her tears.

"Why are you crying, Lucy? You wanted to see them again, and you did," a voice said from behind them.

All three looked towards the Lake, and saw a shining winged white figure standing on the Lake's center. He was shining so bright that they couldn't see his face.

"Who-"

"You could all call me Gabriel. I am one of the angels of this Lake," the white figure introduced. "Now, tell me, Lucy. Why are you crying?"

Lucy shook her head cluelessly. She doesn't know if she's crying tears of happiness that she has finally saw them (or mainly Sting) again, or tears of sadness because that might be the last time she'll see them ever again.

"You want to go back, isn't that right?" Gabriel asked.

Lucy stared at Gabriel's form. Does she really want to go back?

"Answer me, Lucy," Gabriel pressed on.

Lucy turned her head to face her mom, then to the other side to face her dad. Both of them were smiling at her, as if encouraging her to answer: Yes. Reluctantly, Lucy nodded her head.

Gabriel smiled, or at least it seemed he did in Lucy and the other's view. "This place, Elim or Heaven or you could even call it Paradise, is the resting place for those individuals who has moved on in life, has no more regrets, and has no more undone business with the world of the living. But you, Lucy Heartfilia, are still hesitant. You seem to still have regrets and important connections in the living world. Therefore, you are not yet supposed to be here - Oh, don't worry. I don't resent you in any way.

"Anyway, you still haven't moved on in life, and I am here to help you. I've heard your heart's pleas and cries. You long to be with your friends and your loved ones. You wish for it. I was told to help make your wish come true from the Father. Since you have died in a fairly noble way - defeating the _dreadful _Soul of Dread, I give you two choices: Stay here with your family, or Go back to the living world. Of course, there are some conditions."

Lucy gulped and asked, "W-what are the c-conditions?"

"If you stay, we won't give you any other chance to go back to Earthland. However, you could still use the Lake, though I don't guarantee it will be able to cure your lamenting heart. And if you go back, it will be your only and last chance. We might not be able to help you directly. And, seeing as you seem to be a Celestial Mage, you have to search for your keys yourself. When you die and still have regrets, I apologize, but we wouldn't be able to help you anymore. Now, Lucy, choose carefully," Gabriel replied in a serious tone.

Lucy lowered her gaze to the ground, deep in thought. _Do I want to go back? But I don't want to leave Mama and Papa behind, now that I have finally reunited with them. But, what he said about regrets and all... _

"Go, Lucy. It's okay," Layla told Lucy, interrupting her train of thought. Lucy stared at her mother with wide eyes. "But-"

"Lucy, didn't you tell me before that you have to grab your own happiness? That there's nothing happy about having your fate decided for you? We don't want to force happiness on you when we know you could be happier when you're with your friends," her father tenderly gazed at her eyes in an attempt to convince Lucy to go. Tears welled up in Lucy's eyes as she stood up and hugged her parents.

"Thank you. Thank you, Mama, Papa," she pulled away and curled her lips to form a small smile. She turned to Gabriel and, mustering enough courage, gallantly replied, "I'll go, Gabriel. I choose to go back, to Fairy Tail, to my Nakama... and to Sting."

Gabriel, again, smiled. With one swift wave of his hand, a white portal appeared to his right. He motioned for Lucy to step forward. "You will be asleep once arriving on Earth. But don't fret. You will wake up the next day, when the sun has fully risen. I, myself, don't know where you'll end up. Be careful and don't die _carelessly_ or _recklessly _again.," he warned.

Slowly, Lucy walked to the portal. She stopped in front of it and turned around to face her parents again. She waved her hand and shouted, "Mama, Papa~! Thank you and goodbye!"

"Take care, Lucy!" they simultaneously called as they waved back.

With a smile, Lucy thanked Gabriel (to which he responded with a nod) and stepped into the portal, all the while still waving goodbye to her parents.

* * *

_She was ready to live a brand new second life_.

_She believes that with her friends, her nakama, and her beloved, everything would be alright. Her friends would stop mourning and Fairy Tail would be rejoicing once again. _

_Everything would go back to the way it was before. _

_..._

_Or so she thought._

* * *

**(A/N)**

Is that called a cliffhanger? Oh well... Yeah! Lucy's coming back! The story's getting started (wow, that took a long time...) :D!

Yes, Lucy's funeral was going on at the same time as when Lucy was at the Lake, that's why she was able to momentarily come "face-to-face" with Sting

- "roses of red, white, and gold, yellow and orange marigold": That actually rhymed (O.O) !

**GUEST REVIEW RESPONSES:**  
**Psyka**: Thank you~! Sorry for being late~!And here is the awaited chapter 4! And I'm glad you felt emotional... since it was my goal (T_T) .  
**ninjapanda**: Thank you~! Sorry for being late~! (T^T) I'm glad you loved the song and the flashbacks! I took quite a long time deciding for it~!

Okay. That's all. Please review and see ya in the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 5: Instant Problems

**FATE**_  
**Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate?  
Main Pairing: StiCy or LucyxOC  
Rating: T for SafeT and Character Death  
Genre: Romance, Humor, Drama, Hurt/Comfort  
**_**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I don't own Fairy Tail... The agony! T_T**

I'm back and I bring to you Chapter 5! Been a LONG time, huh? I don't have a proper excuse for that... Hehehe... Except that I was lazy...

That's why I decided on a double update...There's not much to say here, because the long Author's Note would be at the end... Why is my profile pic cropped!? WAAH! *cough* Sorry. *cough* Anyway, English is just my second language~!

This is another long chapter (which I could have divided into two).

WARNING: This is not yet beta-read. I only proofread this, but I think there would still be mistakes...

* * *

**Chapter 5: Instant Problems  
**_**"I... don't know."**_

**Normal POV  
**_October X791_**  
**_Acalypha, Fiore_**  
**A comfortable silence blanketed the town of Acalypha. The birds sang their morning tune and formed a mini-ensemble with the sounds of the crickets and cicadas. The sky was still a bit dark, for the sun hasn't fully risen yet. The streets were quiet and only some early-risers were out in the streets, either to take some fresh air or setting up their shop.

Sting stepped out of the train station. The reason why he decided to visit Lucy's grave this early was because he couldn't get enough sleep the previous night, what with all his mourning. Lucy has only been buried yesterday, so he knew the guild would still be a bit empty even if he came there at about 10.

Walking to the cemetery, he ignored the stares of the curious townspeople. All he wanted was to "talk" with Lucy. His little "encounter" yesterday after the funeral really stuck on his mind, and he can't help but feel something... peculiar.

Arriving in front of the Hearfilia tombstones, he knelt down in front of Lucy's grave and patted the ground tenderly. Then, he laid down the flowers he bought a while ago. He smiled and let a small tear drop down his cheek. He traced the headstone's inscription lovingly as more tears trickled down his cheek, until he couldn't hold it in anymore.

He didn't know how long he stayed there crying, sitting on the ground, and hugging his knees. But after he cried his heart out, he lifted his head...

And saw a sight that made his eyes widen.

It wasn't Lucy. No, she didn't appear again like in the funeral. Instead, glittering golden particles were leaking out of the grave, which was also glowing a golden color. He stared at the sight, mesmerized. He didn't know what to do, or what he _could_ do. He just stayed there, dumbfounded at the sight.

Gradually, the particles lessened, and disappeared into thin air. The grave stopped glowing and everything was the same as a while ago.

Sting gaped. He had some weird feeling in his guts that something was going to happen, or was _happening_, but he couldn't quite place it.

_What the hell is happening? Luce..._

After a few minutes of thinking, Sting shrugged. _Maybe it was just her soul rising to heaven,_ he concluded. Standing up, he bid farewell to Lucy's grave, and left for the guild. Maybe, he'll ask Rogue's opinion on this later.

* * *

_Somewhere out there..._

Lucy sleepily sat up and rubbed her eyes. _Ugh... Where am I...?_ Oh, surely this isn't Heaven. She scanned her surroundings. Everywhere she looked, all Lucy could see was trees and vines and bushes and thickets and moss and... Okay. She was obviously in a forest.

"Ugh... Why here of all places? Can't Gabriel just choose a different place? Oh right, he didn't know himself where I'll end up," Lucy sighed. She examined herself and noticed that golden particles were still leaking out of her body. _I guess I'm still in the process of 'resurrecting', huh..._

After much contemplating, she stood up and walked in a random direction. She didn't know where she was, so she had to find the nearest town. And soon.

Lucy sighed in frustration. "If only my keys were here... Loke or Virgo or even Pyxis would be able to help... All I have is my Fleuve d'etoiles. How would that even help me?" She wandered around the forest aimlessly, all the while thinking about what she should do. What would she do if she ended up in another side of Fiore? With no money at all? Or if she's in another country? Or worse yet, in another part of Earthland?!

Groaning in frustration, Lucy ran her hand through her hair. Inwardly, she hoped that she would _coincidentally_ bump into an acquaintance, or better, a fellow Fairy Tail wizard. Like Gildarts, for example. That old man liked to travel.

The "floating golden particles" were gone, which meant that her "resurrection" process was done. She brought her hand up and examined her right hand. To her surprise, her Fairy Tail mark was not present. _What-!? Gabriel didn't say anything about this! _She groaned again and bumped her head on a random tree bark. First day back on Earthland and she's _this_ stressed already. She turned and went back to wandering the forest.

Lost in thought, Lucy unconsciously followed a dirt path. Where it would lead her to, she didn't care right now; as long as she'll be able to reach civilization.

While walking, Lucy noticed the change in her surroundings. The dirt path she was following gradually turned a dark purple color. Farther along the path, the trees looked like they were wilting, much like in that Nirvana incident. She stopped in her tracks and shuddered. Without hesitation, she turned and ran towards the opposite direction, only to bump into something rough and hard.

"Oh? What do we have here?" said a cold and raspy voice that sent shivers down Lucy's spine. Slowly, she looked up and came face to face with a large, muscular man. She froze. He looked down at her and cupped her chin. Tilting her head left to right, he chuckled. "Looks like I've got me a nice treasure, eh?"

Lucy gulped. Instinctively, she reached for her whip, but was stopped by one of the man's large hands. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Now, now. Don't be so scared. I won't do anything to ya." Forcefully, he grabbed Lucy and set her on his shoulder.

"KYAAH! PUT ME DOWN!" Screaming, Lucy trashed around and whacked his back in an attempt to break free from his grasp. Her attempts were proved futile, however, when the man laughed mockingly and shrugged off her trashing. She started sweating nervously. The environment was drastically changing into that of a horror atmosphere. The trees were dark and purple - wilting, actually.

It wasn't long before they entered a dimly lit building. The man rudely threw Lucy on the floor like a sack of flour. "Oww!" she squalled, rubbing her sore bottom. "Watch it, will ya!?" she cried out. The man laughed. "Feisty, eh?"

By this time, Lucy noticed the stares she was recieving from the other people present in the room and shivered. A few of them stood up and gathered around her. "W-what?" she croaked. The people sneered and grinned mischievously. The man who took Lucy raised a hand. "Now, now, boys. Easy. We'll have our fun later," he paused and glared down at Lucy. "For now, rough her up."

The men chuckled and stepped nearer to Lucy. "No..." They stood over Lucy, readying their clubs and bats.

By impulse, Lucy reached for her whip. With one crack and lash of her whip, the men fell back. "Tch! Damn you!" Lucy stood and poised herself in a battle stance.

The men rushed towards her. With her whip in hand, Lucy lashed out at them. She can't die now. Not here.

* * *

_Somewhere in the forest..._

"Damn! Where the hell is that dark guild!?" A frustrated shout resounded in the forest, followed by a loud -

SMACK!

"You've been complaining ever since we set off from the village. And it's not even an hour yet! Have some patience, will you!?" said a deep female voice.

"Y-Y-Yes! Anna-sama!"

"Good." Anna nodded. Anna was a tall and well-mannered woman and had an elegant and strict aura around her. Her long lavender-colored hair was let loose, reaching her thighs. She donned a long lavender-colored robe with an ornately ruffled collar and an intricate purple brooch located on the middle. Frills and small ribbons lined the edges of her robe, and dark purple laces criss-crossed at her front and back, giving her a noble and lady-like appearance. It also has a double layer, with the lower one darker-colored. Attached to her waist was a purple sword inside a white sheath with intricate lilac and rose designs. Her feet was hidden inside a pair of knee-high purple boots with purple laces and ribbons circling around it. Her purple clothing matched well with her fierce violet eyes.

"Now shut your mouth, Kaze," she commanded.

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" he quickly replied. When Anna turned around again, Kaze muttered quietly under his breath, quiet enough to escape Anna's ears, "Yeah, yeah... Geez..."

Kaze was a hyperactive and rambunctious young man, with almost no manners at all. He had a bad boy aura which was emphasized by his messy, unkempt cougar blue hair that sticks out in every direction and with some fringes framing his pale and handsome face. He wasn't all muscles, but was also not too thin. He was the type that looks thin in clothing. A black double-breasted suit top that reached a little lower than his waist emphasized his well-toned abdomen. It also had a stand-up chinese collar and gold swirly patterns. Underneath it was a dark blue, button-up, long-sleeved polo. He wore loose ebony black slacks, which had silver chains hanging out the pockets, and shined black shoes. Since his suit top was quite longer than his waist, he wore his belt around it instead (it had belt hooks, too). His hazel eyes stood out the most.

"Idiot," someone commented. Kaze glared at the teen next to him. "Shut up, Rain."

Said person shrugged half-heartedly. Rain was Kaze's _younger_ twin brother and polar opposite: quiet, calm, stoic, and almost always wore an expressionless... expression. His blue hair was of a darker shade and was well-combed and neat, except for the ends that seemed to stick out a bit. He also had a handome, pale face. Like Kaze, he wasn't too thin nor too muscular, but he was also well-toned. He wore the same black suit top with golden patterns as Kaze's, but instead of swirly patterns, his resembled long, thin streaks like that of raindrops. Underneath his suit top is a dark purple, button-up, long-sleeved polo. He also wears the same black slacks, belt, and shoes as his twin brother, including the silver chains. His eyes are the same hazel color as Kaze's.

"Rain's right, though. You ARE an idiot," said another voice. Kaze turned to his right and glared at the person who spoke.

"What did you say, Vulcano!?"

"You're an idiot," Vulcano bluntly replied. Vulcano had flaming scarlet hair which was gelled to neatly stick out in different directions. His bangs that framed the sides of his face were long, reaching his collarbone (the left one) and chest (right). He wore a confident smirk, letting out a cool yet intimidating aura. He wore a maroon blazer suit complete with a lighter red dress shirt, black necktie, and shiny black leather shoes. He prefers wearing his blazer unbuttoned. His ocean blue eyes contrasted his appearance.

"Really, until now, I still can't believe you're Rain's older twin brother. It's just so unbelievable," he continued, shaking his head.

Kaze scoffed. "I don't care what you think anyway, scumbag," he shot back. A tick mark appeared on Vulcano's forehead, but he wasn't about to give in just yet. "Who are you calling a scumbag, idiot?" he "calmly" responded.

Kaze smirked. "Who else?" He grinned slyly at Vulcano's infuriated expression. Just before Vulcano punched the lights out of Kaze, a small girl appeared between them. "If I were you, I wouldn't do that," she said. Seeing the flabbergasted expressions of the two, she sighed and gestured towards Anna's figure in front of them. Anna had her back turned towards them, but it was obvious she was pissed with the dark demonic aura she was now omitting.

Kaze and Vulcano gulped and sweatdropped. "T-thanks for warning us, Coral."

Coral giggled. Her wavy cerulean hair was held high into two bunches by big sapphire blue ribbons. She donned on a cute, short, fluffy blue dress with a lot of ruffles, resembling that of a doll's. Several sapphire gems decorated her dress on the chest and waist. On her feet she wore long knee-high blue boots with darker blue laces and shiny sapphire gems. Her big dark blue eyes emphasized her doll-like look.

"Although, I wouldn't mind her beating you two up. You guys are annoying me too, you know?" She laughed at their expressions. She heard Rain sigh and smiled at him. "Unlike Rain." Rain stared at her, his face showing no emotions.

The four stopped walking when they saw Anna halt in her tracks. Kaze and Vulcano immediately slung an arm around the other's shoulders and pretended to get along, afraid of Anna's wrath. Fortunately for the two, the demonic aura around Anna disappeared.

Anna turned towards them. "We're heading nearer to the dark guild. I'm having a weird feeling about this. Let's hurry." Since the tone of her voice proved business, the other four became serious and followed Anna as she ran deeper into the woods.

* * *

Lucy stood in the middle of the remains of the dark guild. Her clothes were tattered and torn, and her body was full of bruises and scratches. Around her lay the unconscious and injured bodies of the regular mages (who knew her whip could be so powerful?).

"You're tough... nothing compared to your underlings," she stated. In front of her stood the master of that dark guild, the same man who brought her there. The man laughed loudly.

"You're quite good yourself, girl." He wasn't as tired nor injured as Lucy, but he also had some bruises on his body, courtesy of the Fleuves d'etoiles. "But looks like the fun ends here." He reached for his dagger that was hooked on his belt. Bringing it out, he licked the dagger's blade. He crouched down in an attacking position and poised the dagger in front of him.

The sunrays that peeked over the trees lit up the partially destroyed builing and shone on the dagger, elaborating its design. A shiver went down Lucy's spine once she saw the dagger's full details. She froze. The pitch black dagger with daunting red patterns was all too familar for her. "I-It can't be...! That dagger...!?" she managed to blurt out.

The man raised an eyebrow and straightened up. "Hmm? You know this dagger? Well, that's good then," he shrugged. Lucy's eyes widened. "B-but how...!? They should have taken that dagger already! Why is it with you?" she questioned, shakily. The man shrugged once more. "I just saw it lying around in the remains of a dark guild. The officials didn't seem to notice it because it was quite well hidden," he paused and glared at Lucy, causing her to step back in fear.

"Never mind that. I don't give a damn about this dagger's history anyway. All I care about now is to end YOU," he growled. He stepped foward, striding nearer to Lucy and smirked at Lucy panic-stricken expression. He held the dagger in front of him to ready his move.

Lucy trembled. It took a great ounce of her power to step back. The image of Soul being possessed by the Soul of Dread flashed before her...

"No... The S-Soul Reaper..."

The image of the Soul of Dread attacking her friends...

"Hmm? Soul Reaper? Is that how it's called? It fits," the man commented, then cackled loudly. "Ah, my blood's boiling with excitement!"

Lucy froze in her place, unable to move. Her pupils dilated and she sweated nervously. She trembled uncontrollably and uttered muffled cries for help.

Fear.

Flashbacks of her experience with Midnight Dread replayed in her mind like a broken record.

Trauma.

Gathering her remaining strength, she screamed for all she was worth.

"SOMEONE, HELP!"

The man leaped forward, ready to stab Lucy. Lucy stared, wide-eyed, at her impending doom...

"Watch out!"

* * *

Anna ran through the forest with her team on her heels. The bad feeling inside her grew when she saw the alterations in the forest environment. She caught sight of a partially destroyed building in the distance. _I knew it...!_

"Kaze! Get there first! You're the fastest among us!" she called to the boy behind her. Kaze nodded and lowered his stance a bit. Wind gathered at his heels and with one swift leap, he took off. He maneuvered his way through the forest skillfully and arrived in a clearing.

Kaze looked up and saw a man with huge built about to pounce on a blonde girl.

"SOMEONE, HELP!"

Clenching his teeth, he dashed towards them.

"Watch out!" he shouted. But he was a little too late. The man brought the dagger down and stabbed the girl.

In a burst of andrenaline, he jumped and landed a drop kick to the man's side, sending him back. He straightened himself and glanced back at the girl who fell on the ground. His eyes widened seeing the girl's condition. Blood was dripping out of the stab on her stomach, as well as from her mouth. He clenched his fists and glared at the man who stabbed her.

"Stabbing a woman? That's low." He charged again with immense speed and roundhouse kicked the man on the side of his face.

Anna and the rest arrived seconds after. She studied the scene quickly before sending orders. "Coral, tend to the lady's wounds! Rain, Vulcano, assist Kaze! I'll signal the Rune Knights!"

"Understood!"

As soon as her teammates left to carry her orders, she brought out a medium-sized signal flare and ignited it. The flare exploded in the sky with bright lights. _It's a good thing we talked to the Rune Knights before heading here, _she thought.

Coral ran to the wounded lady's side. She sat down and, using her magic, enveloped her with water. "Refresh," she chanted. While the bruises and scratches started disappearing, she took out some bandages and wrapped the stabbed stomach to lessen the bleeding.

Rain and Vulcano ran to Kaze's side.

"Took you long enough," Kaze sneered.

"Hmph," Vulcano scoffed while Rain remained silent.

Vulcano stretched his arm out and a red-orange magic circle appeared at the huge man's feet. "Pillar Combustion!" he shouted, and a tall and wide pillar of flame burst out from the circle.

Kaze and Rain stood side by side and readied their magic. Wind gathered around them, and a blue aura surrounded them. "Unison Raid: Gale Downpour!" A gray magic seal appeared before them and a blast of wind and rain shot out.

The man stood his ground and raised his arms protectively against the upcoming attack. The strong wind cut through his clothes and the bullets of rain pelted his skin. He lost his footing and crashed into a tree.

"That was fast," Kaze breathed. Rain cautiously walked up to the man. Once he got near enough, he studied his condition. "He's unconscious," he called to his teammates.

Anna walked up to them. "Good. Rain, help me tie him up. The rest of you take care of his guild members. Make sure none of them get away if they gain back their consciousness," she commanded. The three boys nodded and carried on their given task.

Rain took out a rope that he hid in his coat and brought it to Anna, who quickly took it. She tied the man's hands and feet together quickly and skillfully. Rain sweatdropped. _And what do I have to do?, _he thought. Anna dragged the guild master towards the rest of his guild while Rain followed suit.

"How is she?" Anna asked Coral after she set the huge master's body beside the pile of regular members.

"Fine, I guess. She's just unconscious," Coral replied. She waved her hands over Lucy's body and removed the water encasing her. "I managed to heal her wounds and stop the bleeding before it became life-threatening." Anna nodded. "That's a relief. We'll take her to the guild after this," she announced. "I still can't shake off this weird feeling..."

"Hey, Anna. Do you know what this is?" Kaze walked up to them with Vulcano right behind him. He was holding the black dagger with his hand. "I think the big guy dropped it when I kicked him a while ago," he said.

Anna took the dagger from his hands and examined it. She shook her head and gave it back to Kaze. "No, I don't."

Kaze raised an eyebrow as he studied the dagger. Something seemed off about it, with its eerie patterns and pitch black blade...

"Anyway, let's wait for the Rune Knights. We'll bring the dagger to the guild so we could examine it better," Anna announced. The rest nodded in agreement.

* * *

_In a city near the borders of Fiore  
Galdmiore City, October X791_

Anna and her team opened the doors to their guild. "We're back!" Kaze exclaimed. The guild welcomed them with cheers of acknowledgments.

"Welcome back." A woman with short red hair walked gracefully and elegantly towards them. She wore a sleeveless yellow-and-white polka-dot choffin shirt and a knee-length brown skirt with ruffles and topaz gems adorning it. She wore golden shoulder plates and a long, flowing white cape was attached to them.

"We're back, Master," Anna respectfully bowed her head a little in the presence of the woman.

"Didn't I tell you to stop bowing your head to me, Anna?" the woman laughed.

"But Master-"

"It's fine. Just call me Sakura. I'm 19, for Pete's sake. I don't want to be treated as a full-grown adult, yet."

Anna sighed. "All right then, Lady Sakura." Anna glanced behind her and motioned for Rain to bring forth the person they brought with them. She was still unconscious.

"We brought someone with us," she told Master Sakura. The Master's expression changed into that with utmost concern, and she signalled for them to follow her to the infirmary. Once there, Rain gently put her down on the soft mattress. Master Sakura assigned someone and Coral to keep watch while the rest of them left.

Anna gave her the blade that they brought with them, too (apparently, the Rune Knights didn't know what to do with it). After studying it for a bit, she decided to lock it in her Guild's storage - securely.

- ~ 2 WEEKS LATER ~ -

Coral walked to the infirmary room to have her daily checks on their patient. Ever since they brought her to their guild, she was in a comatose state and was asleep since then.

Opening the door, she heard a groan and her eyes brightened. She ran to the side of the bed almost immediately.

The girl sat up, rubbed her eyes and scanned her surroundings. "W-Where am I?" she sleepily asked. Coral put on a bright smile and carefully laid her down on the bed again. "You're in our guild infirmary. Wait here. I'll call Master," she replied as she left the infirmary and headed downstairs.

Minutes later, she came back, bringing with her Master Sakura and the rest of her team. Master Sakura was the first to speak up. "How are you feeling?" she kindly inquired as she stood beside her bed, by the window. The girl stared at her for a while before replying, "I'm fine. And, umm... Who are you and what am I doing here?"

Master Sakura looked at her kindly. "I'm Master Sakura and this is Team Accord. They were the ones who found you injured in the dark guild they were supposed to hunt down," she said as she gestured towards the rest of the people in the room.

The girl smiled a little and thanked them before introducing herself. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

Kaze stepped forward. "So, uhh, Lucy, what were you doing there, anyway? I think you fought the dark guild, until their guild master stabbed you. If it weren't for me, you would be dead by now," he boasted. Rain elbowed him and gave him a cold glare while Vulcano shook his head.

The girl's expression slightly fell. "I... don't know."

"Huh? What do you mean you don't know?" was Kaze's intelligent reply. The rest stared at her curiously and worriedly.

"Aside from my name, I... don't remember anything else."

"WHAAAAAAT!?"

* * *

**(A/N)**

LUCY LOST HER MEMORIES!? O.O She can't remember anything aside from her name... Oh no...

~ I got a bit lazy describing Coral's appearance. But it's easy to imagine it, though. You know those fluffy Pre Cure outfits, right? Something like that. And those fluffy dresses in Mermaid Melody? Just mix those and let your imagination wander. I'm not good at describing those kinds of clothing/dresses :P

QUESTION: Do you guys want me to put previews at the end of chapters?

Don't forget to leave a review! Reviews are the fuel to my brain!  
One more thing: Constructive criticism is allowed~! Just NO flames, please~!

See ya next chapter! Toodles~!

**GUEST REVIEW RESPONSES:**  
**Chapter 3.5:**  
**Guest 5/15/13:** I'm glad~ ^_^ I managed to make you cry~ (I don't mean it in a... you know, bad way) Thank you for reading my story~  
**Chapter 4:**  
**panhero:** Thank you ^_^ ! Wait, you pinched yourself O.O? Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing~ :D  
**ninjapanda:** I guess we'll just have to wait before she sees Stingy Bee again~...  
ME: Blame Gabriel for not knowing where she'll end up...  
Gabriel: OI!  
ME: Kidding~  
Glad to know you used the OST I picked and that you love it. I love it, too~! (T^T) And thanks so much for reviewing and...uh...comforting? :D Thanks again~! XD


	7. Chapter 6: A New Home

**FATE**_**  
Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate?  
Main Pairing: StiCy  
Rating: T for SafeT and Character Death  
Genre: Romance, Humor, Drama, Hurt/Comfort**_

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T own Fairy Tail! Only the OC's (that goes w/out saying -_-)!**

Nothing to say -_-.  
There's an imporant notice at the end of this chapter. Don't miss it!

* * *

**Chapter 6: A New Home  
**_**"Would you like to stay here with us? Even just for a while?"**_

_**Last time...**_

_The girl's expression slightly fell. "I... don't know." _

_"Huh? What do you mean you don't know?" was Kaze's intelligent reply. The rest stared at her curiously and worriedly._

_"Aside from my name, I... don't remember anything else."_

_"WHAAAAAAT!?"_

* * *

_Fairy Tail Guild, Magnolia, Fiore  
November X791_

**Normal POV**

"The guild's still as depressed as ever," Makarov sighed and said to no one in particular. He was sitting on the bar counter and observing the guild's atmosphere. The guild was still rowdy, but not as rowdy as when _she _was still here.

He turned his head to Team Natsu.

Gray was obviously still depressed. He was surrounded with a freezing aura and no one dares to go too close to him. Juvia still stalks him, but _only from time to time_. She, too, doesn't dare to go too close to him. Every time someone mentions Lucy, or gives certain hints, the aura gets colder. He still fights with Natsu, but not that often.

Erza's glare was scarier. Most of the guild were not bold enough to talk to her, afraid of being glared at. No one saw her girly side anymore, because the air she usually gives off was dark and depressing.

We all miss Natsu's grin. It isn't the same as before. He very rarely smiles. Sometimes, whenever Lucy is mentioned, he goes berserk and Lisanna had to calm him down. He fights with Gray to try and forget Lucy for a while, but it was hard to get to fight him when he, too, was depressed.

Wendy would cry from time to time, most probably thinking about _her_. Charle completely ignored Happy, not even reprimanding him. When she is less grumpier, she spends her time sulking.

Levy refuses to touch books, afraid that it would remind her of her best friend. Gajeel sat on the table near her. His face devoid of emotions, and he uses swear words more often. He refuses to hear anything related to bunnies and punches the lights out of anyone who mentions it. Pantherlily is usually out of the guild to train, trying to get out of the guild's depressing atmosphere and avoid getting depressed himself.

Rogue sat on another table not far from them, with the two Exceeds Lector and Frosch. He never smiled ever since _she _died, becoming even more emotionless and _very_ rarely talks. Fro isn't that cheerful anymore and can sometimes be seen or heard sobbing or sniffing. Lector is usually sulking and quiet, obviously missing his master's girlfriend. Also, he doesn't brag about Sting that much anymore.

Speaking of Sting... Sometimes he won't come to the guild and no one would be able to find him. Everyone understood his current state, because out of them all, he was the one suffering the most. When he is in the guild, he just sits there staring off into space or just to get a mission. He kept his promise to _her_ and quit being a playboy. At times when _she_ is mentioned, he either tears up or goes berserk. He was close to destroying the guild _twice_.

Makarov turned around to face Mirajane, who was cleaning the glasses. She changed _a lot_. When Lisanna died, she changed from a near-tomboy, gothic, and badmouthed to a sweet, kind, and motherly young lady. This time, however, was the opposite.

Mirajane's sweet smile vanished, replaced by her occasional cold, demon-like glares and foul words. She would occasionally fight and argue with Erza, just like the old times.

Elfman stopped spouting nonsense stuff about being a man and Cana drowns herself in alcohol.

The rest, well, to put in simply - were never the same. Even Makarov would sometimes lock himself in his room and cry alone.

Sighing, Makarov stood up from his place on the bar, with Mira eyeing him suspiciously. She was about to call for him but he waved her off.

Once inside the office, Makarov sat on his chair and faced the window.

That time when Sting returned from his first visit to Lucy's grave, he told Team Natsu and Rogue what he saw. Eventually, the guild heard all about it. Half of them agreed that Lucy's soul has finally ascended to heaven, while the other half were having strange feelings about it. Especially Team Natsu, Rogue, Levy, Sting - who thought about the matter again on the way there, and him. Ever since then, he can't shrug off the strange feeling inside him. He couldn't quite place it into words.

Sighing in frustration, he looked outside, and tears made its way to his eyes. He looked up at the skies and mumbled with a soft voice, "My child... how are you doing?"

* * *

_In Some Guild's Infirmary, Galdmiore, Fiore  
November X791_

"WHAAAAAAT!?" Everyone shouted, shocked. Well, almost everyone. Anna and Master Sakura only stared at Lucy in shock and bewilderment.

"No kidding!?" Kaze added. Lucy nodded slowly in reponse. Then she looked down sadly and fiddled with her fingers, mumbling a silent, "Sorry."

Sakura folded her arms and tapped her chin in thought. "Amnesia, perhaps?" she muttered. She turned to Coral, as if asking for an explanation. After all, Coral was the one who helped take care of her while she was gone. To her disappointment, Coral shook her head, which only meant that she doesn't know anything about it. She shook her head slowly. "This is a problem..." she muttered.

Kaze facepalmed. "Oh, great... Just great... We have to deal with an amnesiac dudette here..." he muttered. Quickly, Anna slammed her fist on the back of his head. "Your manners!" she hissed. Kaze shrunk and cowered in fear.

Lucy scowled. "Well, then... I'm sorry! You hear!?" she nearly shouted. The rest gaped at her, including Master Sakura and Anna, surprised by her sudden change of character. Then Vulcano snickered, Rain and Anna smirked, and Sakura chuckled, setting off a chain reaction of laughs and giggles. Kaze was fuming in annoyance. He stood up and glared at her, while Lucy returned the glare.

"You really can't remember anything?" Everyone turned their heads to Rain and gaped. "What?" he questioned.

"Rain spoke!?" Kaze shouted in shock. Rain's eyebrow twitched and he glared intensely at him. Kaze just put his hands behind his head and whistled innocently.

Everyone then faced Lucy, expecting an answer. Lucy tapped her chin in thought for a long time before shaking her head. "Aside from some vague images, none."

"Vague images?" Vulcano questioned.

Lucy nodded. Anna beckoned for her to continue.

Lucy furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "A black blob with one red eye... A place that looked like paradise... Two adults that are most probably my parents... A white figure with wings... A beautiful lake... A black dagger..." She clutched her head, trying to concentrate. "And... a person who has lighter blonde hair than me who was smiling." She looked up at them to see their reactions, only to see them deep in thought. Even Kaze (now that's a surprise).

Sakura shook her head. "We can't draw any conclusions, yet. For now, we'll wait for more of your memories to come back," she suggested and smiled warmly at Lucy.

"Thank you." Lucy returned the smile, then her expresssion changed to surprised one. She opened her mouth to say something when Kaze stopped her.

"'Wait'?! What do you mean by 'wait', Master?!" he exclaimed as loud as usual. Lucy glared up at him and he scowled before returning the glare.

Sakura coughed, ending their silent argument. She glared at Kaze. "I mean what I say, Kaze." Kaze nervously nodded and Sakura turned back to Lucy. "We'll help," she suggested. The others in the room raised their eyebrows in confusion. "We'll help you regain your memories. But for the time being... Would you like to stay here with us? Even just for a while?" she said with a smile.

Lucy's eyes widened and she stared at her in bewilderment. She thought about it for a moment, then faced the Master again and nodded. "Okay," was her reply. She didn't have anywhere to go to. None that she knows of.

Everyone smiled and nodded in agreement. Kaze sighed and shook his head, muttering stuff like 'It's Master's choice' and 'Oh, man...' and 'Guess I have no choice'.

Sakura held up a stamp and winked at Lucy. "So, where do you like your stamp to be and what color?" she asked. Lucy thought for a bit before smiling up at her and raising her right hand. "On my right hand and pink, please," she answered. Sakura nodded and put the stamp on her right hand. With a 'pop', she lifted the stamp and a pink insignia appeared on Lucy's right hand.

Sakura beamed at her. "Welcome to The Guardians, Lucy," she welcomed.

Lucy raised her eyebrows. "The Guardians? That's the name of your guild?" she questioned, but with no hint of rudeness in her tone.

Sakura was taken aback for a second before flashing a small smile and nodded. "Yeah. We were once an organization, until 3 years ago when we decided to become a guild. But we still kept our Organization's name," she replied. Lucy nodded her head in acknowledgement. "I see..."

Anna coughed. "Well, we have to introduce ourselves properly to you," she said. She smiled at Lucy before continuing. "My name is Anna G. Crystalline. I use Crystal Magic and a self-created Crystal Moulding Magic, hence my alias: the Crystal Maiden or Crystal Guardian. It is an honor to have you in our guild." She was about to bow down when Sakura, again, told her not to.

"Crystal Guardian?" Lucy questioned.

"Most of the Guardians have their own alias or title. I'm the one who gives them their titles," Sakura explained. Lucy's mouth formed an 'o' before she motioned for them to continue.

Vulcano stepped forward. "The name's Vulcano Emberlei. I use Fire Magic and hold the title 'Flame Alchemist' and 'Flame Guardian'. Nice to meet you, Lucy," he smiled.

Coral walked beside Lucy's bed and held her hands, a big grin on her face. "I'm Coral. Coral Aquamarine. My magic is Water Magic and my title is Water Guardian. I would love to be your friend, Lucy!" she beamed. Lucy smiled at her. "I'd love it, too, Coral!"

Sakura was next. "I'm the master of this guild, Sakura Athurnon Fiednar. But to those that are not part of the guild, I'm known as 'Sakura Hikegawa'. My magic is Recollection. I'll explain it some other time. Anyway, I would like it if you won't treat me as a grown-up woman. I'm just 19, after all."

Lucy nodded and turned to Kaze. Kaze raised an eyebrow. "What?" he blurted out. Lucy's eyebrow twitched. "Do you have any manners?" she growled. Kaze was about to retort when Rain flicked his forehead hard.

Sighing, Rain faced her. "I'm Rain Mundred. My magic is Storm Magic. I am the Rain Storm half of the Twin Storm Guardians," he introduced with a monotonous tone. He averted his gaze towards Kaze who was rubbing his forehead while cursing.

Heaving a sigh of annoyance, Kaze 'tch'-ed and looked at Lucy. "My name's Kaze Mundred, the _older_ twin. Better remember that or you'll regret it for the rest of your life," he said, emphasizing the word 'older', earning a cold glare from Rain. He smirked at Lucy's scowl before continuing. "I use Storm Magic, too, and I'm the Wind Storm half of the Twin Storm Guardians."

"Older twin? Are you sure?" Lucy sneered. "It seems more to me that you're the younger one."

Kaze twitched and glared at her. Before he could say anything smart, there was a knock on the door. The door creaked open and a black-haired girl stepped in.

"Uhhh, Master? Sorry if I'm interrupting, but... everyone's just asking what's taking you all so long," she said. "Especially Saki," she added. At that, Master Sakura blushed a deep shade of red. Everyone in the room giggled/chuckled/laughed, except, of course, Lucy.

"Hmm? Who's Saki?" she curiously questioned.

"He's Master's _boyfriend_," Kaze answered her.

"H-h-he's not my b-b-boyfriend, Kaze!" Sakura stuttered. The rest continued mocking and teasing her, amused by her expression. Still confused, Lucy just watched them tease her new Master. Noticing her confusion, the black-haired girl walked towards her. Lucy noticed this and looked up at the approaching girl.

She wore a simple, tight, long-sleeved black top with a buttoned brown vest over it and skin-tight, knee-length dark blue shorts. She also donned on a long dark brown cape that was locked around her neck with a black and gold rectangle-shaped brooch. Her brown laced boots made a soft tapping sound on the tiled floor. She had long, shiny ebony hair that reached her waist and shimmering eyes of the same color.

The girl smiled and introduced herself. "Hello. My name is Shante Adreical. Full name, Shante Gil I. Revalc Adreical," she smiled at Lucy's expression. "I know. It's long, right? Anyway, nice to meet you... ummm..."

Lucy brightened up. "It's Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia. And nice to meet you, too," she smiled. Shante flashed a big grin. "So, you're joining our guild? What magic do you use?" she asked. Lucy's smile faltered a bit. Shante noticed this and grew worried. "Ah-! Did I say anything wrong? I'm so sorry!" she panicked.

Lucy smiled a small smile before shaking her head and replying, "No, it's alright. It's just that I have... amnesia, you see. And, I don't know what magic I use..." Shante's expression softened and she flashed a smile. "Then how about it? I'll train you!" she suggested.

Lucy's expression slowly changed into that of utter shock. The rest in the room apparently heard Shante's suggestion and stared at the two.

Shante nodded. "I'll help you! Maybe I could teach you a new kind of magic or help you remember what kind of magic you used before!" she exclaimed rather excitedly.

"That would be great, Lucy," Sakura, who recovered from her previous teasing, piped up. "Shante's one of our strongest mages. Her unique magic would be able to help. Oh, and I'd love to come and see your training, too."

Lucy was at a loss for words. She stuttered and stammered, trying to find the correct words to describe her gratitude. Sakura giggled and Shante laughed at her reaction.

Giving up, Lucy sighed and smiled at them. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Master Sakura, Shante, everyone."

Sakura nodded. "All right. Let's go downstairs and introduce you to the guild." She walked out of the door, followed by Team Accord. Shante helped Lucy up and practically dragged her downstairs.

* * *

**Lucy POV**

"...And that's the story."

The entire guild was quiet, staring at Master who stood on the top of the stairs overlooking the entire hall. The whole place looked like a palace, for it was designed in a Victorian-style. A long and wide velvet carpet stretched out from the ivory doors, up the white marble steps to a bar at the end.

On the left side of the bar was a set of stairs heading up to the second floor where the Guild Infirmary and a wide balcony was located. On the other side of the bar was another set of stairs that headed up to another side of the second floor, mainly the Library, Artist's Hall, and the Treasury.

Shante said there was a third floor were certain meetings were held, but she never went there yet herself.

Near the bar, there was a small brown table surrounded by three exquisite brown chairs 'that was meant for the Big 3 in the guild, namely Master Sakura, Amy Triste, and Yui Aldernaie' (quoted from Shante).

The hall was filled with white delicate and ornately-looking tables and chairs. Fortunately, Shante said that they can withstand a lot of damage and were not that delicate.

Murmurs and chattering filled the hall as they stared at me, who was standing beside the Master. I gulped. "Umm... uhh... It's a pleasure to be with you...?," I stammered. The guild continued staring at me. I gulped once again.

Deciding to break the awkwardness (thankfully), Master Sakura coughed, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "I expect that you all would welcome her warmly and get along with her well." Then her expression turned into that of a cold glare that sent shivers down my spine, even though it wasn't directed at me. "If I hear that any one of you had mistreated her, I'll personally _crush_ you, is that understood?" she boomed. Most of the guild members cowered in fear while others (the stronger ones, I think) merely shrugged it off.

Suddenly, Master's expression turned into a soft smile. "Well then, that's clear. Everyone, please welcome our newest Guardian, Lucy Heartfilia!" She pushed me softly forward.

Feeling everyone's stares on me, I fumbled with my words and played with my fingers. Looking down, I muttered loud enough for them to hear. "Umm... It's a pleasure to be with you."

Then the hall erupted in cheers.

Dumbfounded I looked up and met their smiling faces and huge grins. They shouted their 'Hellos' and I smiled, thankful that the tension has finally cleared.

After the small welcome, the guild went back to their previous business, chatting, drinking, and (some of them) fighting. Master then brought me with her to the bar and sat me down on one of the barstools. She sat down next to me and ordered apple juice from the bubblegum pink-haired barmaid. I followed her example and ordered a vanilla milkshake (fortunately, they had some).

Turning to face me, Sakura smiled. "So, how is it? Are you fine?" she asked. Smiling, I nodded and thanked her. She nodded in return.

The barmaid came back seconds later with our drinks. "Thank you, Amy," I heard Sakura say. I quickly jerked my head to the barmaid and stared at her in shock. They noticed my reaction and looked at me questioningly.

"Y-You're Amy Triste? The person Shante said to be one of the Big 3?" I asked slowly.

Blink.

Realization dawned on their faces and they giggled. I blinked at them in confusion.

"Yeah, I'm her. But I don't know what you mean by the Big 3..." the barmaid replied. I gazed at her, befuddled.

"Maybe that's just another one of Shante's weird ideas. Anyways, Amy is the current Ace of the Guardians with the title 'Guardian of Fortune'," Master Sakura explained.

"Yeah, but technically, Sakura is the Ace. However, it only applies when she's on a 'break'," Amy continued.

I raised my eyebrows questioningly. "'Break'?" I asked. She nodded while Master spoke, "Sometimes, I want to take a break from being Master and entrust my position to someone for a while." She rested her cheek on her hand and faced me. "I want to treasure my youth, after all, and take on jobs like any other mage."

I chuckled and drank my milkshake. We continued chatting there on the bar happily for quite some time before Anna walked towards us.

"Lady Sakura..." she trailed off. Master looked at her and motioned for her to continue. "Wouldn't it be convenient if we hide Lucy's identity for a while?" she questioned. _Convenient?_

Master Sakura cupped her chin in thought. "Mhmmm... That's true. We don't know what your past was like and whatever it was that you're involved in, if there was any," she nodded to herself and faced me. "We'll have to hide your identity for now and reveal it once you have regained a satisfactory amount of memories," she explained.

"Then...?" I asked nervously. She smiled and asked, "What hair and eye color would you like? And your name?" It took a while before my mind clicked and understood what she meant.

Tapping my chin in thought, I tried to come up of a good and attractive combination for my 'disguise'. It should match well with my natural looks. Ah~ There goes my vanity, again...

"It would be better if it was completely different from your true appearance, so that no one will question why you look like 'Lucy Heartfilia'," Master suggested while Anna nodded in agreement.

Nodding to myself, I made up my mind and smiled at them. "I'd like my hair caramel brown. My eyes stays the same. As of my name... Lucino... Bernhart? Is that okay?" I asked. They both nodded and the Master raised her hand. She put her hand on my hair and a magic seal appeared on her palms. The seal shone for seconds before it disappeared. Master removed her hand.

"There, it's done." I combed my hair with my fingers and brought some of it to my face to get a good look at it. Sure enough, the color was the one I wanted it to be.

"But why didn't you change your eyes? People might recognize you if you don't," Anna inquired. I thought for a bit before answering, "I don't know. I just felt like I shouldn't. Like someone would be unhappy if I changed it." They looked at each other before shrugging.

Master told Anna to tell the guild that my name was changed to Lucino Bernhart and that no one should reveal even a single hint about my identity or they'll recieve direct punishment straight from her and Master. The whole guild was scared and immediately agreed. Satisfied, Anna walked back towards us and nodded at Master. Master smiled and thanked Anna. With that, Anna left and went to the table where the rest of Team Accord sat.

I faced Master. "Sorry, to have to do this all for me..." I muttered. She set her hand on my shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "It's all right. You're already a part of this guild. A part of us. Don't worry. I promise. Everyone will support you and take care of you," she said.

Smiling, I nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

_?  
November X791_

A man garbed in royal clothes all in white stood in front of a huge window, overlooking a huge palace garden. He smiled fondly. The huge doors to that room opened and in stepped a man who was probably in his thirties. He, like the man, wore clothes completely in white.

"Any news?" the previous man asked the newcomer.

"Yes sire. She has been found by people trustworthy enough to take care of her as she regains her memories," replied the newcomer.

The man sighed in relief. "I see. She's finally safe," he muttered and turned around to face the newcomer. "Do continue to watch over her, Gabriel."

Gabriel smiled and bowed respectfully. "Yes, Father." With that, he left the room.

Father turned to the window again and smiled at the horizon.

"Fate is still at work."

* * *

**(A/N)**

**IMPORTANT NOTICE!:**  
My classes start on June 10! On the first week of June, my family will be in Palawan, so I wouldn't be able to update my story by then T^T Sumimasen... I think I'll only be able to update once a month, since my school loves giving a lot of assignments and projects. Plus, I'm in a boarding school... But I'll try updating as SOON as I can! :(

ALSO:  
I know it's a little late, but... Did any of you hear about the Russian 14-year old (I think his name was Leonid Hmelev) that commited suicide after his favorite character, Uchiha Itachi, died? (I cried SO MUCH in that scene T^T Just thinking about it makes me tear up, again...) It's a pitiful loss for the boy's family. And personally, I feel sorry for him. If only he knew that Itachi was announced to die since 2008 and he was [*spoiler*] going to be resurrected [*end spoiler*], then he wouldn't have to die :( I offer my condolences to the boy's family. (You could google this news in the internet. There are quite a few sites that has an article about this...)

**- ~ (^_-) ~ -**

Any questions? PM me or leave it in your review. :D I'll answer as soon as I can.

I accept constructive criticism. But no rude comments or flames please! Or else I might snap! (that's not a full lie, though)  
That's all for now. See ya in the next update~! :3


	8. Chapter 7: Individual Feelings

**FATE**_**  
Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate?  
Main Pairing: StiCy  
Rating: T for SafeT and Character Death  
Genre: Romance, Drama, Humor, Hurt/Comfort**_

Halloow~! I'm back with another long chapter. I had a pretty fun time writing this chappy down ^_^. O.o And I updated quite fast, too.

Oh, and NOTE: I will be referring to Lucy as Lucy when narrating it. But in speech, I will be referring to her as Lucino. Is it confusing? If it is, tell me :).

English is my second language, people~!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Individual Feelings  
**_**"Well, you see, it's just...there's this weird feeling..."**_

_**Previously in Fate...**_

_"Aside from my name, I... don't remember anything."_

_"My child... How are you doing?"_

_"__And... a person who has lighter blonde hair than me who was smiling."_

_"Welcome to the Guardians, Lucy."_

_"Lucino... Bernhart? Is that okay?" _

_"You're already a part of this guild. A part of us."_

_"Thank you."_

_"Fate is still at work."_

* * *

_The Guardians Guild, Galdmiore, Fiore  
November X791_

**Normal POV**

Sunlight peeked over the clouds and shone on the windows of Lucy's room. The bright light lit Lucy's sleeping face, which caused her to wake up and squint her eyes. Groaning, she sat up and groggily rubbed her eyes. She yawned and stretched her limbs. Looking out the window, she smiled.

"It's such a nice morning... Today's going to be a great day!" she nodded to herself and moved to the side of the bed. When she was about to stand up, she heard a LOUD shout, "Get down here, Brownie! We're going on a mission!". Animatedly, she fell over in shock. The door banged open and Kaze rushed in. Once he saw Lucy, he's mouth formed an 'o'.

"Oh, you're awake."

A tick mark appeared on Lucy's forehead. She sighed in frustration and shook her head. _I take that back. It's NOT a nice morning and it's NOT going to be a great day_, she thought. It's been a little over a week since she joined The Guardians and Kaze was ALWAYS this rude to her. Never once had she seen him act nice towards her. Well, maybe once or twice, but nevertheless, he still pissed her off.

"Yes I am, IDIOT. Why are you so loud..." she grumbled.

This time, it was Kaze's turn to get pissed. A tick mark appeared on his head.

"As if you're not louder! Do you even remember yesterday I tried to wake you up without being rude and you KICKED me. KICKED _ME_! The Amazing Wind Storm Kaze!" he shot back.

"It's not my fault I'm not a morning person!"

"You still didn't have to kick me THAT hard! Man, I could still feel the pain..."

"Shut up! And, there's no need for you to shout this early in the morning!"

"I don't care what you say, Brownie! All I care is for you to get down there right this instant or else Anna will beat the crap out of me!"

"Who are you, my Mom?! Anna can beat you up for all I care!"

"What did you say, brat!?"

"Who are you calling 'brat', monster!?"

"Who's the monster!? For all I know, you act more like a monster to me than I do!"

"You're a monster because you're SO noisy!"

"As if you're not noisy right now!"

"And as if you are any better!"

BANG!

The loud sound of the door banging open (the second time this morning) stopped their argument (and once again prevented Kaze to retort another smart answer). They turned their heads to the person at the door and instantly cowered in fear.

For right there on the doorstep was THE Crystal Maiden, Anna.

Anna glared at the both of them. "What do you two think you're doing, creating a racket this early in the morning?" she said calmly but deadly. Extremely deadly. Lucy and Kaze shrunk back in fear and gulped. "U-u-uh..." they stuttered.

"Umm... waking Br-Lucino up...?" Kaze's statement came out more as a question than an answer. Anna focused the full power of her glare on him, which caused him to sweat nervously. Slowly, she stepped closer to him. Kaze tried crawling backwards in fear while Lucy watched the both of them with amusement and fear written on her face.

Anna reached for her sword and continued glaring at Kaze. Kaze panicked and immediately bowed down. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!" he pleaded. Anna scoffed and pointed her sword at his face. He gulped and looked up at Anna, only to meet her fierce violet eyes that were gazing straight at his own. "I think you're forgetting what I said about a week ago, Kaze. Did you forget that Master and I will give punishment to anyone who mistreats Lucino? In that case, I shall make you remember," she threatened.

With that, she raised her sword and just as it was about to hit him, someone interrupted yet again.

"I think you better not do that, Anna," Coral suggested rather happily as she walked over to Lucy and greeted her 'Good morning'. Then she faced the confused Kaze and Anna and smiled. "Vulcano wouldn't have any punching bag left to beat up!" she remarked. Lucy, again, fell over animatedly, Kaze narrowed his eyes at her in annoyace, and Anna nodded in agreement.

Sheathing her sword, she turned and headed for the door. Glancing back one last time, she commanded, "Go down as soon as you guys are ready. But do NOT make a racket."

Once he was sure that Anna was out of earshot, Kaze breathed a sigh of relief and quickly glared at Coral. Coral looked at him with a confused yet slightly amused expression. "What~?" she asked. "What did you say earlier about me being Vulcano's punching bag? For your information, he's the punching bag and I'm the one beating him up," he answered.

Coral shrugged and turned to Lucy. "Lucino-chan, you better get ready~! Anna can be REALLY scary when we arrive there late~!" she childishly told her.

Kaze was almost sure one of his nerves exploded. "Hey, don't ignore me!" Coral went to him and grabbed his arms. "What are you－" he started. But he wasn't able to say anything because Coral practically dragged him out of the room and closed the door.

Giggling, Lucino went to her closet. Master Sakura, Amy, Shante, and Anna bought her clothes the day she joined her guild. She took some clothing and undergarments and entered the bathroom for a relaxing bath. She used the vanilla-scented shampoo and soap that Amy and the Master bought for her.

Once out, she changed into a simple dark brown tank top and black pleated skirt. She also put on a brown hooded cape with a star-shaped lock. Putting on her brown boots, she thought of her new friends. _Master is really kind, but she could be really scary. Anna's just like an overprotective and strict older sister. Coral's like a younger sister. Vulcano and Rain are like my brothers. Kaze, too, but he's so annoying. Shante is so bubbly that sometimes I couldn't catch up to what she was saying, _she giggled. _She also loves books just like I do. But since when did I start loving books? I feel like I've always loved them,_ she shrugged. _Oh well._

Standing up, she picked up the tropical mango and hibiscus perfume that Anna bought for her. After doing a final check on her appearance using a full-length mirror (that she got from Shante), she took her whip, strapped it on her belt and left the room.

* * *

"Why do girls always take so long?" Kaze grumbled. He and the rest of Team Accord where gathered in the entrance of their guild waiting for Lucy.

"Stop complaining like a little kid, birdbrain," Vulcano said, annoyed of his constant complaints.

"What did you say, ashbrain?" Kaze shot back.

"Don't call me 'ashbrain', birdbrain!" Vulcano spat.

"STOP FIGHTING!" Anna boomed and punched the back of their heads, creating a sizeable lump. Though, Kaze's was larger than Vulcano's. Rain sighed and shook his head while Coral giggled.

She knelt down beside Kaze. "Would you like me to heal your wound?" she asked him. Kaze's head shot up and looked at her pleadingly. She giggled again. "With one condition."

Kaze's mouth fell open. "What!? You ask me that but... You're planning something aren't you?" Kaze eyed her suspiciously. Coral just smiled at him innocently. "Tch. Spoiled brat," he muttered under his breath. Apparently, Coral heard him and she hung her head low. Then, she started trembling.

Immediately, Rain, Vulcano, and even Anna started panicking. "Oi, Kaze! You idiot! Don't make Coral angry! You know very well what will happen! You don't want to see h-her angry would you!?" they simultaneously scolded him. Immediately realizing what he has done, he quickly said, "I-I-I was just joking, Coral. F-Fine. What's the condition?"

Coral immediately looked up and beamed at him as the others sweatdropped. "Then, answer my question honestly," she excitedly said. Kaze raised his eyebrows and looked at her questioningly. She smiled oh-so-innocently that it made Kaze gulp.

"You like Lucino-chan, don't you?"

Blink.

Blink blink.

"WHAT!?" Kaze shouted while the rest snickered (Rain smirked).

"Just admit it, birdbrain," Vulcano sniggered.

"I don't like her, idiot!" Kaze shot back, but his face betrayed him. His cheeks were tinted pink.

"Yeah, yeah, as if."

"Why you little-"

"Kaze," Anna interrupted. Kaze froze and slowly faced Anna. He stared at her in shock when Anna put her hands on his shoulder and gave him a hopeful and reassuring look. "Work harder," she said. The rest doubled over in laughter. Rain was looking away and covering his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter.

Kaze gaped at her, utterly speechless. Seeing his reaction, Anna smirked and patted his shoulder before walking away while he stood there staring into space.

"Hey, guys! What did I miss?"

Everyone turned to Lucy who had just arrived. Vulcano opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by a blast of wind, courtesy of the ever-so-polite Kaze-sama. Note the sarcasm.

"N-nothing important," he quickly answered. Lucy raised her eyebrow and eyed him suspiciously. He turned away from her suspicious stares and whistled innocently.

Shrugging, Lucy walked over to Anna. "So, where do we go?"

Everyone gathered around them and proceeded to the train station. Kaze was deep in thought. _Do I_ _like her? Now, now Kaze. Stop overreacting. That's impossible, _he thought. _Why would I like someone like her? Besides, why did Coral even ask that question? Sure, she's pretty cute and all, but she's damn noisy and annoying. Even though her smiles brighten up your day, the way she acts kindly to everyone, her heavenly laughs, her- _Then he stopped walking. _Wait, what the hell, Kaze!? _He shook his head vigorously trying to stop his thoughts.

Noticing that Kaze stopped, Rain stopped walking as well. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Kaze shaking his head vigorously. He was about to ask what's wrong, but since they were getting left behind, Rain decided to break his twin brother's line of thought. "Hey, Kaze. We're getting left behind," he said. Kaze quickly looked up and nodded following behind Rain as they caught up with the rest of the team.

Kaze looked down. _Damn. What the hell is wrong with me!?_

**- ~ 2 days later ~ -**

"Happy 13th birthday, Coral!" The guild cheered as Coral blew the candles on her cake. Master Sakura gave them permission to eat and they happily dug in.

In Team Accord's table, Anna happily munched on her favorite ube cake while occasionally glaring at Kaze and Vulcano who always had something to argue about. Rain was calmly eating his food while shaking his head at their idiotic antics. Lucy sat beside Anna and giggled while watching them. Coral joined them shortly after and proceeded to annoy Kaze and Vulcano again.

The party continued on throughout the afternoon, and when nighttime came, Master Sakura had a small program prepared.

Walking up to the top of the stairs, she clapped her hands loudly, gaining the attention of her guild. Scanning the hall, she made sure everyone had their eyes on her. She cleared her throat and smiled. "All right. To celebrate Coral's birthday, we're going to have a little show," she winked and her smile brightened. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

Immediately, smoke enveloped her and around the stairs area. When the smoke cleared, there she stood with Amy and another of the "Big 3", Yui Michelle di Bruch Aldernaie. They were wearing matching dark blue dresses that made them look like an idol group. She smiled and looked at her two companions. They nodded at each other as the background music started playing.

Amy opened her mouth and sang the first part.

_"Yumemiru hitomi ni sekai wa utsukushii kumi e dakedo, utagau koto o oboete, hito wa okubyou ni natte iku no?"_

She looked at Yui to which the latter smiled. Putting the mic near her lips, Yui sang the next line.

_"Nita mono doushi dayo ne to warai atta ano koro, sasai na uso sae yasashiku minogashite kureta yo ne."_

Sakura spread her free hand wide. Smiling brightly, she sang the bridge.

_"Moshi futari ni kaeru basho ga nakute mo, kamawanai, watashi ga sono egao o mamoru kara."_

They smiled at each other and stepped forward to sing the chorus.

_"Hoshi no kazu hodo no deai ya wakare ya, ushinaitakunai mono mo zenbu, nanni mo iranai to omoeru yo ima. Tada kimi no soba de, mitsumetetai yorokobi mo kanashimi mo, nani mo kamo."_

Everyone started nodding along with the music. Coral smiled and tiny tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she cheered loudly. Some others laughed and cheered with her. The three singers rhythmically waved their hands along the beat. As the next part came, they sung it beautifully and added some hand gestures.

_"Otona ni naru tabi sukoshizutsu, wasurete shimatta itsu de mo jibun no kokoro ni sunao de iru koto."_

Amu and Yui stood side by side and stretched out their hand to the audience. They smiled as they sung their duet part.

_"Kimi kara moratta yuuki no KAKERA, kimi dake ni ageru watashi no kokoro ni saku hana o."_

Sakura joined them and they danced along the makeshift stage. Colorful lights shone on them, creating a dazzling spotlight as they sung the next chorus.

_"Afuredasu namida ga oshiete kureta, nakushicha ikenai mono wa zenbu, ano koro no mama kokoro no naka ni aru. Taiyou no you na, kimi no egao ga, konna ni mo watashi no koto tsuyoku suru."_

For the brief guitar solo, they twirled around the stage perfectly and gracefully. As the music changed a bit and the lights dimmed, Sakura stood at the middle of the stage with the spotlight focused on her.

_"Hoshi no kazu hodo no deai ya wakare ya, ushinaitakunai mono mo zenbu, nanni mo iranai to omoeru yo ima. Tada kimi no soba de, mitsumetetai yorokobi mo kanashimi mo subete..."_

The lights spread once again and the two joined her in the middle of the stage as they sung the last part of the song.

_"Ima kara koko kara hajimeyou yo. Futari no ashita o hajimeyou yo. Umareta mama no kimochi de iyou yo. Natsukaze ni yureta hana no you ni, ima kono isshun o sakihokorou."_

The three singers curtsied, smiled, and waved to their guild. They nodded at each other and exclaimed, "Happy 13th birthday, Coral!/Coral-chan~!" They laughed together, and the guild soon joined in. Coral grinned widely and laughed along. The guild busied themselves with laughter, praises for the three "idols", partying, and enjoying the birthday night.

Lucy laughed along with her new friends at her table. Kaze watched her for a while before quickly averting his gaze before Lucy could catch him staring at her. Fortunately for him, she didn't notice. She was too busy laughing along with Shante's jokes and Anna's comments.

Sighing, Kaze stood up and climbed the stairs to the second floor's balcony that overlooked the ocean behind the guild. Kaze rested his forearm on the railing and watched the waves crashing on the beach. He sighed again and clutched his head with his other hand. "What am I doing?" he muttered.

"I was going to say that."

Startled, Kaze quickly looked to his right, only to see his twin brother Rain leaning on the railing marveling the spectacular view. "Oh, Rain, it's just you." Relieved, Kaze turned again to the ocean and watched the view.

Rain glanced at his brother and inwardly sighed. "You like her do you?" he asked. Kaze stared at him from the side. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, albeit defensively. Rain turned around and leaned on the railing so that he had his back facing the horizon. He stared up at the sky. "I'm talking about Lucino," he continued.

Silence.

Not getting a reply, he glanced at Kaze, only to see him staring at the open sea with eyes that looked somehow... confused. He sighed and tried again, "You're purposely making her hate you by acting like an idiot around her, aren't you?"

Again, silence.

Rain stared at Kaze and was about to continue when he heard Kaze mutter, "Maybe." Raising an eyebrow, he studied his older twin brother. "Maybe?" he inquired. But Kaze was silent again. Already starting to get annoyed, he continued. "Just admit it, Kaze. You like her."

"You're becoming awfully talkative tonight, Rain. Did you drink too much? Has the party gotten into you?"

"You're avoiding the topic."

"..."

"And you're _awfully_ silent."

"..."

Rain sighed. "Kaze, just admit that－"

"I can't."

Rain's eyes widened at the slightest as he stared at his brother, surprised and confused with his answer. He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you get it? How about if she was actually already taken before she lost her memories? I'm not a selfish bastard, Rain." Frustrated, Kaze clenched his fists and looked down. Rain remained silent as he stared at him. Kaze straightened himself up and looked at Rain. "That's why I can't fall for her," he determined.

Rain searched his twin brother's eyes for any sign of doubt, confusion, and the like. When he realized that Kaze was serious, he smirked and averted his eyes from his brother's determined ones. He stood up and chuckled.

Kaze raised an eyebow at him. "What's so funny?" Rain ignored the question and walked towards the entrance of the balcony, waving a hand. "Suit yourself," he said. Kaze studied his brother's back before shrugging and turning around to watch the ocean again.

Before completely leaving the balcony, Rain paused and glanced back at his brother. _You have already fallen for her, Kaze._

* * *

At the same time, on Lucy's table, Coral started a certain topic. "Ne, Lucino-chan~. Do you like Kaze?" she teased as she wiggled her eyebrows. The Master and Shante giggled. Lucy raised an eyebrow. "What? Yeah. He's a good person when he's not being annoying," she replied, clueless at what the other girls are getting at.

Anna chuckled. "That's not what she meant, Lucino." Lucy looked at Anna questioningly. "She meant if you liked Kaze more than a friend," she continued, while smirking.

Lucy gaped at the giggling girls before waving her hands in front of her. "Hey, don't get the wrong idea! No, no, I don't like him that way. As a brother, yes. Nothing more than that," he explained. The other girls raised an eyebrow, kind of disappointed at her answer. They expected her to be flustered and start getting desperate to hide her blush.

Sakura was the first to speak. "Why?" she asked.

"I don't know," was Lucy's brilliant answer. Some of them animatedly fell out of their chair while the others sweat dropped.

Seeing their reactions, Lucy decided to explain further. "Well, you see, it's just...there's this weird feeling..." At that, the girls listened attentively to what Lucy was going to say.

"It's like..." She tried looking for the right words to describe it. The girls continued staring at her, as if begging her to continue. She sighed.

"It's like I'm in love with someone I don't even know, never met, nor even remember," she said. The girls blinked and looked at each other cluelessly, except for Master Sakura. She cupped her chin with her hand, deep in thought.

**- After the party -**

As Lucy walked along the hallway to her room, she passed a small balcony. She stopped and looked out at the stars. Smiling to herself, she walked out on the balcony and gazed at the twinkling stars.

"Hey..." she trailed off, gazing at the stars, lost in thought. "Hey, can you hear me? Whoever you are..." she chuckled. "I'm so weird. Talking to someone I don't even know..." She stared longingly at the stars, pretending that she was talking to the person she said she was in love with. "I just wanted to say that... I want to know who you are. My heart feels like its longing for a special something - someone - its missing piece."

Lucy smiled. "Why don't I sing you a song? I heard Master Sakura singing it once. I'm not sure if I remember everything, but will you listen to me?" She smiled and cleared her throat.

_"Hitorikiri de aruiteru no? Sonna kakkou ja samui deshou. Gomen ne mou, koe wo kakeru koto sae dekinai kedo..." _

Lucy smiled sadly up at the stars as she continued.

_"Kanashimi no oto ga garandou no mune ni kodama shiteta. Obieta watashi wa, ie wo sagashi aruku maigo no you datta ne."_

She closed her eyes as she sang the chorus.

_"Hidamari no you na, kimi no tonari. Atatakai nemuri ni ochite yuketa. Tatta hito toki no yasuragi wo. Kimi ga kuretanda yo, tsutaetai yo_－_arigatou tte."_

Tears started welling up in her eyes, but she didn't bother wiping them off. She didn't know why she was getting emotional, but she felt that it had something to do with _that person_. "That's all I can remember. Isn't it a wonderful song?" she commented as she gazed lovingly at the stars. "I hope we could meet soon."

Unbeknownst to her, a figure in the shadows was listening to her the whole time. The person in the shadows stared at her for a while before retreating, noticing that Lucy was about to leave.

She smiled at the stars and muttered, "Good night." Turning around, she headed for her room. Lying down on her bed, she hummed the song, a part she didn't sing, to herself and fell asleep.

_"Itsu no hi ni ka kono unmei no imi wa mitsukaru kana?"_

* * *

_Lucy's Apartment, Magnolia, Fiore  
November X791_

At around the same time, Sting sat on the windowsill of Lucy's apartment, gazing at the stars that his beloved loved so much. Suddenly, he sneezed. "W-what the－?" he muttered to himself. Was he catching a cold? Nah, maybe someone was thinking of him. That's not entirely impossible, though... right?

Looking up at the stars once again, a small smile creeped on his face. "Hey, Luce. How are you doing? So far, I'm doing fine down here." He chuckled and let a stray tear trickle down his handsome face. "I hope you're doing fine up there. It's so different without you here. Everything just doesn't feel right," he sighed sadly and looked down. His eyes saddened and was covered by his blonde hair.

After quite some time, he looked up at the stars. "Well, I'm getting tired, so I'll retire for the night," he said. He smiled up at the stars and pictured Lucy's smiling face. "Good night."

Sting got off his place on Lucy's windowsill and lied down on her bed. Taking in the remains of her faint smell, he fell asleep and dreamt of his precious memories with Lucy.

* * *

_Next time on Fate..._

_Team Accord entered the train and immediately sat on an empty compartment. Lucy sat accross from Anna beside the window._

_"Where's our next mission, Anna?"_

_Anna looked up from the package she was examining in her hands._

_"Magnolia."_

* * *

**(A/N)**

- _"Sunlight peeked over the clouds and shone on the windows of Lucy's room."  
_- Master Sakura was kind enough to lend her one of her guild's guest rooms. Yes, they have guest rooms.

- _"Standing up, she picked up the tropical mango and hibiscus perfume that Anna bought for her."_  
- I didn't make this up. My own perfume has this scent :D.

_- "Hoshi no kazu hodo no deai ya wakare ya, ushinaitakunai mono mo zenbu, nanni mo iranai to omoeru yo ima. Tada kimi no soba de, mitsumetetai yorokobi mo kanashimi mo, nani mo kamo."_  
- DISCLAIMER: Song: "Kimi ga Iru Kara/Because You're Here by Mikuni Shimokawa. This song was also used as FT's 4th ending (during the Laxus arc, I think. The one with Mirajane in the credits).

- _"Hidamari no you na, kimi no tonari. Atatakai nemuri ni ochite yuketa. Tatta hito toki no yasuragi wo. Kimi ga kuretanda yo, tsutaetai yo－arigatou tte."_  
- DISCLAIMER: Song: "Memory Heart Message" by Saori Hayama/Sachi (SAO). Spoiler!: This song will be an important "theme" in this story ;)

- _"Itsu no hi ni ka kono unmei no imi wa mitsukaru kana?"_  
- This is still a part of Memory Heart Message. In English, it can be translated to: "When will the day come when I finally find the meaning behind my fate?"

**IMPORTANT NOTE!**: This will NOT be a LucyxOC story! It's a STICY! The StiCy will come soon. Just be patient, my friends~! :D

**- ~ (^_-) ~ -**

Was it cheeeeeeesy and fluuuuffy enough? :3 I love fluffy cheese :D Was my humor humorous enough? And if you guys think Sting was a bit too... OOC (okay, maybe not a bit...but still...), then I'm so sorry~! I tried my best T^T

Any questions? PM me or leave it in your review. :D I'll answer as soon as I can.

I ACCEPT constructive criticism. But NO rude comments or flames please! Put in the nicest way you could think of~.

Aaaaanyway, see ya~!

Don't forget to leave a review~! ^_^

Also, don't forget to vote on my poll~! :D

**GUEST REVIEW RESPONSES:**  
**ninjapanda: **"Fate is still at work" is just a small quote that I made up. It simply means that there's more to go~! :D And thank you for the small piece of advice~! And of course, for reviewing, too~! :D


	9. Chapter 8: Encounter

**FATE**_**  
Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate?  
Main Pairing: StiCy  
Rating: T for SafeT and Character Death  
Genre: Romance, Drama, Humor, Hurt/Comfort**_

**DISCLAIMER****:** If I owned Fairy Tail, Lucy wouldn't wear really skimpy clothes O.O No offense, Mashima-sensei.

GAH! I'm sooooo sorry I'm late (again)! I didn't know that on this weekend I would be so busy T_T Please don't kill me! I just hope that this long chapter could satisfy your disappointment with me?

*sigh* Alright, since someone (you know who you are :D) requested for some KaCy moments (KazexLucy), I put in some ;)

There's also another notice at the end. Don't miss it! Oh, and I kinda rushed this, so I apologize for any mistakes. I'll edit it from time to time, though!

Anyway, read on, read on~! English is just my second language!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Encounter Part 1  
**_**"**__I would give anything, except for my fellow nakama, to see her again. Safe and sound.__**"**_

_**Previously in Fate...**_

_"Welcome to the Guardians, Lucy."_

_"Lucino... Bernhart? Is that okay?" _

_"What the hell is wrong with me!?"_

_"I can't."_

_"You have already fallen for her, Kaze."_

_"It's like I'm in love with someone I don't even know, never met, nor even remember."_

_"I hope we could meet soon."_

* * *

_Galdmiore Train Station, Fiore  
December X791_

As their train arrived in the station, Team Accord quickly scurried inside and sat on an empty compartment. Lucy sat across from Anna beside the window. Coral sat down beside her with Kaze on the other side. Beside Anna sat Vulcano, who was glaring at Kaze (who, in turn, was smirking). Rain sat beside him directly across from his twin brother Kaze.

"Where's our next mission, Anna?" Lucy asked.

Anna looked up from the package she was examining in her hands.

"Magnolia," Anna answered simply. Lucy nodded knowingly and turned her attention to the once-again-arguing Kaze and Vulcano, scolding them for making noise.

Anna looked out the window and looked back on what Master Sakura told her a few hours ago.

_"Anna, come here for a sec," Master Sakura called said wizard, who was sitting on a table with her team eating her favorite ube cake. Nodding respectfully, Anna stood up and walked to where her guild master sat on a small table near the bar. _

_Sitting across from her, she inquired, "What is it, Lady Sakura?" Sakura set aside her tea and propped her elbows on the table. "Could you and your team do me a favor?" she asked. Without any hesitation, Anna nodded. "Of course."_

_Sakura smiled and took out a brown package. "I'd like you to take this to Master Makarov of Fairy Tail. I forgot to give this back to him in a previous local guild master's meeting." She handed the package to Anna. "It's a mission straight from me. I'll offer a reward, too, of course."_

_Anna's eyes widened at the slightest and she shook her head. "But, Lady Sakura_－_" Sakura waved her off and stood up. "It's okay. I insist," she smiled and motioned her to go back to her team. "You guys should go now. I don't want Makarov to wait for much longer."_

_Reluctantly, Anna stood up, nodded to the Master, and turned to her team. Halfway there, though, she glanced back at the Master. She didn't know if it was just her imagination, but she could have sworn she saw Master Sakura's expression change into a _very _serious one._

_Ignoring it, Anna continued to her team and told them about the mission._

"－na. Anna!" Snapping out of her thoughts, Anna faced Lucy. "What is it?" she asked. Lucy studied her suspiciously and quietly before speaking. "Can you help me shut this two up?" she said as she pointed to Kaze and Vulcano who were bickering beside them. Anna nodded and turned to the two. She glared at them fiercely, complete with a dark ominous aura.

Sensing murderous intent towards them, Kaze and Vulcano simultaneously turned to the source of it... and shrunk back in fear.

- Please stand by for a moment as Kaze and Vulcano are being punished. -

"When will you two learn to act properly?!" Anna reprimanded the two injured mages knelt down on the floor and who had their hands cuffed by crystal. She huffed and 'tch'-ed in annoyance before sitting down on her seat. "And why can't you act as normal human beings for once?" she grumbled.

"Simply because they _aren't_," Coral snickered. Lucy covered her mouth with her hand to suppress her giggle. Kaze and Vulcano both glared at the both of them. However, they weren't the least bit affected by it. Rain merely shook his head slightly in annoyance.

"So how's the training with Shante going?" Anna asked Lucy.

"Hmmmm... It's fine. She's a fun mentor," she replied, beaming. Anna smiled back before asking another question, "So you already know what magic you use?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah. She found out when she asked me to meditate. After she and Master observed me, they somehow concluded that I am a Celestial Wizard. I don't know how they did it, though," she explained. "But currently, I'm a Celestial Wizard with no keys at all," she huffed.

Anna chuckled. "That's all right. You'll manage somehow," she encouraged. Lucy smiled at her and nodded.

"Hey, Anna!" Kaze called.

"Could you at least take this thing off?" Vulcano followed.

Sighing, Anna gazed out the window and ignored the complaints of her two "prisoners". _That look the Lady had a while ago... What was in her mind?_ she thought.

At the same time, Lucy looked at Anna and noticed her deep in thought. She raised an eyebrow. _What's gotten into her?_

* * *

"Finally!" Kaze ran out of the train just as it arrived in Magnolia. The rest of his team left the train after him. Vulcano snickered. "You're such a kid," he remarked and was replied by a gust of wind that threw him sidewards to a wall, creating a huge crack in the process.

Kaze smirked smugly and wiped his hands, satisfied with his work.

SMACK!

"Oww! What was that for!?" he winced as he rubbed his poor head. He glared at Lucy who, apparently, was the one who chopped him on the head.

Lucy glared back. "Act _normal_ for once, idiot!"

"Who's the idiot!?"

"Who else!?"

"Why of course, you!"

"No! YOU!"

"You!"

"I said, you!"

"And _I _said－"

A deep cough interrupted their argument (and prevented Kaze from retorting AGAIN). They turned their heads to Anna, who stood in front of them. She was gazing at the both of them intently, while smirking.

"Sorry to interrupt your lover's quarrel, but－"

"HEY!"

Anna glared at the both of them, as if saying 'You dare interrupt me!?'. Kaze and Anna immediately sealed their mouths shut. She coughed once again and continued, "Since I assume we still have a lot of free time on our hands, I guess I could allow all of you to tour Magnolia for a bit."

The rest of her team's mouth opened in surprise, except Rain who kept his emotionless face. The girls' eyes sparkled.

"We'll meet in front of Fairy Tail's Guild Building by 4PM. You guys can eat wherever you'd like. Do not be late. I repeat, do NOT be late. Is that clear?" she thundered as she gazed at them intensely. Everyone, including Vulcano who got back in time to hear her announcement, gulped and nodded. She nodded, satisfied. "I suggest you guys go out in groups, so as not to lose each other. That is all. You may go," she waved her hand at them, signaling them to go. In response, her team immediately ran out of the train station excitedly.

Anna watched them head out and smiled to herself. "Those guys..." she muttered to herself. Sighing, she headed out of the train station as well.

* * *

"Let's go there! There! And there!" Lucy happily chattered as she pointed to a boutique, a shoe store, and a bookstore.

Kaze paled. "No way in hell will I go to any of those places!" he protested. Then he pointed to a random restaurant. "Let's go there instead!"

Lucy scoffed and folded her arms in annoyance. "Hmph, as if. Why are you such a pig?" she spat.

"Who are you calling a 'pig'!?" Kaze retorted in annoyance.

"There's no other pig here other than you!"

"Tch. Say whatever you want, Brownie."

A tick mark appeared on Lucy's forehead and she raised a hand to hit him on the back.

SMACK

"What the hell!?"

"That's for calling me 'Brownie'!"

Kaze's eyebrow twitched and he raised a fist and punched the top of Lucy's head.

BONK

"Ouch! Why you－"

"Oi, oi. You two..." Rain sighed in frustration. _How the hell did I get myself into this mess!?_ he thought. He looked at the squabbling duo in front of him. _I just _had_ to get stuck with this two._

"Why do you even call me 'Brownie', anyway?" Lucy inquired as she rubbed her sore head. Kaze shrugged in response. "Lucino's too long. And I can't call you 'Blondie' because you aren't blonde anymore," he replied nonchalantly. Lucy raised an eyebrow. Kaze noticed her questioning look. "What? You want me to change how I call you?" he asked. She nodded in reply. Kaze thought about it a moment before making his mind. "How about... Luce?"

"Huh?" was Lucy's reply. "Well, I can't think of any other name to call you. And the name's short and easy." Lucy fell silent. "Wait, you don't like it? How much more picky can you be?" Kaze grumbled.

Lucy shook her head. "That's not it. The moment I heard that name, I felt all warm and fuzzy inside," she said. At her words, Kaze smirked. "What's with the look?" she asked with suspicion.

Kaze shrugged. "Nothing," he replied. "Don't 'nothing' me!" the girl hissed in annoyance. "What else should I say, _Luce_?" he teased as he leaned his face closer to hers.

Lucy blushed and looked away. The warmth and fuzziness she felt awhile ago came back.

Kaze smirked and straightened up. He fell silent as he studied Lucy's blushing face.

A cough brought the two back to their senses. They both faced the somehow forgotten Rain, who was emitting a dark aura. Rain twitched. "So since you two are done bickering, shall we go? And before you two could start arguing again, we're just going to walk around for now," he said. The look he gave the two made them gulp and they followed him without hesitation.

The walk was silent, because both Kaze and Lucy were too scared to say anything and Rain was pissed.

_Wow, Rain could be really scary when angered. Note to self, NEVER make him angry again, _Lucy thought. _Hmph, it's all that idiot's fault anyway. I'm happy that he won't call me 'Brownie' anymore. And what's with the Luce? Why does it seem so familiar? And what's all this warm and fuzzy feelings welling up inside me? Why am I feeling like this? Why_－

Lucy's musing was interrupted when she bumped into someone and fell backwards on her butt.

"Ah-! Sorry," the person apologized. Rubbing her bottom, Lucy looked up and saw a spiky-haired, handsome strawberry blonde male wearing azure-tinted sunglasses. He was wearing a hooded green coat with a wide collar and prominent spiky, brownish white fur trimming lining the hood over his light red shirt, and black pants.

Lucy blushed unconsciously. Apparently, the man noticed this and smiled, rather teasingly. He held his hand in front of her and flirtatiously winked. "I shouldn't let a beautiful young woman like you stay on the ground like that."

Lucy blushed more and shyly accepted his hand as he helped her up. On making contact with his hand, she felt some sort of familiar sensation. _Eh? What's this feeling?_ she thought.

"Oi, Luce, what's with you?" Kaze interrupted her thoughts. He and Rain stood next to them, almost forgotten from the recent scene.

Upon hearing the name 'Luce', the man gaped. "L-Luce?" he stammered. Lucy and the twins looked at him cluelessly. "Yeah, that's the nickname I gave her," Kaze said as he put both of his hands behind his head. "Why?"

The man slowly shook his head after regaining his composure. "N-nothing." He then turned around to walk away, but was stopped when Lucy grabbed the hem of his coat's sleeve.

"U-umm, are you a Celestial Spirit?" she asked while staring through his tinted sunglasses.

The man's eyes widened. "W-what...?" Kaze and Rain stared at Lucy, absolutely clueless at what she was talking about.

"W-well, it was just a feeling... I feel like I know you," Lucy explained. The man trembled slightly and opened his mouth. Nothing came out at first, but he managed to say, "W-who are you?"

Kaze and Rain exchanged knowing glances before nodding. With his magic, Kaze activated a thin wind barrier that should prevent anyone from the vicinity from eavesdropping. Rain proceeded to tell the man everything they knew of until now.

To everyone's surprise, the man's expression gradually softened and tears welled up in his eyes. Quickly, he enveloped Lucy in a tight embrace. "Y-You're alive... I can't believe you're alive, Lucy..." he croaked. The twins smiled and let them savor their small reunion. Slowly, Lucy returned the hug. "Y-Yeah... But I'm sorry I can't remember much, Leo-san..." Loke let go of his former master and held her at arms length.

He smiled. "It's all right, Princess. And just call me Loke. But why do I have to keep it a secret from Fairy Tail?" he asked her. Lucy turned to her two companions and Kaze turned to Rain. Rain raised an eyebrow at his brother, who narrowed his eyes. _These idiots are so..._

Rain sighed in defeat. "Not just from Fairy Tail. From everyone else. Master was the one who said it, so don't ask any questions 'cause I'm sure she has her own reasons," he said monotonously. Lucy and Kaze sweatdropped, while Loke reluctantly gave in.

"Then, Princess," Loke reached for his pocket and brought out a small brown pouch. He gently grabbed Lucy's hand and placed the pouch on it. "Would you mind being our master, again?" he asked with a smile. Lucy beamed and gladly accepting the offer.

Loke nodded, then a golden light enveloped him. "I'll see you later when you call us for a contract," he smiled and winked as he disappeared in a flash.

As soon as he had gone, Lucy opened the pouch and stared in awe at the golden and silver keys inside. _I got all this keys...! And just like that, too! _The Celestial Mage smiled happily as she opened her satchel and put in the pouch. "Let's get going," Kaze said. She nodded and followed the twins without complaining, since she was too happy to think of arguing with Kaze right now.

* * *

"I'd like 3 ube cakes, sir."

Anna stood inside of one of Magnolia's pastry shops. She chose the one closest to Fairy Tail so that it wouldn't take her a lot of time to go there. She looked around the small yet comfy shop. Business seemed to be thriving today, for the shop was almost full. She spotted only one free table, but there was another customer seated there. The redhead was happily indulging on her strawberry cheesecake.

"Here are your ube cakes, madam." The Crystal Maiden quickly turned to face the clerk and gladly recieved her cake, not forgetting to utter her grateful thank you. She made her way carefully through the small group of customers and to the table she spotted earlier. She grabbed the only other seat and sat across the redhead.

Carefully, she placed her plate of ube cakes down and took a seat. The redhead didn't even look up at her. Anna inwardly sweatdropped, but maintained her gracefully noble air. She raised her fork and sliced a small piece from her cake. Smiling at her 'table-mate', she decided to make her presence known.

"Hello." _Nice one, Anna,_ she sarcastically thought.

The redhead looked up and glared at her. But upon realizing that she wasn't there to steal her cake, her glare disappeared and was replaced by a smile. "Hi," she greeted. Then she brought out her hand and held it in front of her. "I'm Erza Scarlet. A Fairy Tail mage," she introduced. Anna was taken aback for a second before she gladly took the redhead's armored hand in hers in a handshake. "Anna Crystalline. A Guardian mage," she said.

Erza smiled as she took another piece of her cake and gulped it down. She faced the lilac-haired woman. "So what brings you here in Magnolia?" she asked. Anna looked up at her, already halfway through eating her cake. She swallowed before answering, "We came here to deliver a package to your Master, Makarov-san, from our Master. My teammates are touring the city, right now. I could just hope they aren't causing any mischief."

The Titania chuckled before eating another piece of her cake. "What package was it?" she curiously asked after swallowing. Anna thought for a bit before shaking her head slightly. "I don't know. I just know that it was something she forgot to return in the recent guild master's meeting," she replied. The redhead nodded knowingly before focusing again on eating her cake.

An awkward silence enveloped the two before Anna decided to break it. "Do you usually come here to eat?" she asked. She noticed the redhead slow down her eating. Curious, she looked up from her second cake at Erza.

The redhead shook her head slightly. "Not really. In truth, it has been quite some time ever since I've been here. Before, I used to come here and spoil myself with the cakes they have," she chuckled, but Anna sensed a small amount of sadness from the sound. "It all changed when _she _died two months ago. Ever since then, I've been an emotional wreck. I hardly even touched cake, which, I belive, was quite a feat," she continued.

Anna's eyes widened ever so slightly. _Two months ago? That was the time we found Lucy! Could she have known Lucy? _Gulping inwardly, she bravely said, "Do you know someone named Lucy Heartfilia?" The redhead almost dropped her fork in surprise and stared at Anna with shock and confusion etched on her face.

Gulping, Erza nodded. "Yes. She was the one who...," she paused, a sob threatening to escape from her throat. "She was the one who d-died... back then." Anna dropped her fork and waved a hand rather frantically in front of her, which was quite uncharacteristic of her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to－" She was interrupted when Erza shook her head again.

A small smile made its way on the redhead's face. "It's all right," she said. Then, she looked straight at Anna. "Will you listen to me? I feel like I have to let this out..." she asked. Anna nodded, not knowing how she should react. Erza set the cutleries she was holding gently on the table. She propped both of her elbows on the table and rested her chin on the back of her hands. Closing her eyes, she heaved out a sigh.

"Lucy was a very precious nakama. Her joining the guild was one of the best things that has ever happened to us. She partly saved us from the depression of another one of our nakama's death. Her smiles lit up our hearts, reaching even the darkest corners." A small tear trickled down her cheek and Anna couldn't do anything but gaze at her empathically. "On that day two months ago, I couldn't do anything but watch her die. I can't help but hate myself. Not only me, but my friends were helpless, too. If only we were stronger... If only I was stronger... If only..." she sighed sadly and wiped another stray tear.

"But what we were feeling was nothing compared to what her lover was feeling," she continued as more tears trickled down her cheeks. "Out of every one of us, he took it the hardest. The image of him crying on Lucy's coffin on the day of her funeral is still clear in our memory. Often times, he wouldn't come to the guild. A single mention about Lucy would make him go berserk.

"Although time has passed, and we were starting to recover ever so slowly, we knew deep inside that we can never go back to the way it was before. Lucy has touched our lives, our hearts, and left a fingerprint that would never heal. This may sound selfish, but..." she paused and breathed a sorrowful sigh. "I would give anything, except for my fellow nakama, to see her again. Safe and sound. And I'm sure everyone feels the same," she finished. Erza kept her head low, with tears making its way down her face.

Anna had her mouth slightly open, and she was glad the redhead couldn't see her like this. Narrowing her eyes, she regained her composure. Lucy had so many loved ones in her previous life. The best thing to do in this situation is simply return Lucy to them. She opened her mouth to voice her thoughts, but nothing came out. _No, _she thought. She can't do this. Although she wanted to, this was Lady Sakura's job. Plus, even _they_ have grown fond of the Celestial Spirit Mage.

With slightly shaky hands, Erza wiped the tears that were threatening to fall, faced her newfound friend, and smiled a sad smile. "I'm sorry if I took up much of your time," she sincerely apologized. Anna merely shook her head slightly and smiled. "It's alright. I understand. Actually, I feel honored that you confided in me," she said. A small pang of guilt pierced her chest, but she decided to ignore it. For now.

Erza nodded. "Thank you." Then she proceeded to eat her cake, with Anna shortly following suit. A comfortable silence enveloped the two as they ate their respective favorite cakes.

* * *

Vulcano sighed frustratedly. "Coral..." he grumbled.

Coral faced him with a huge innocent smile decorating her doll-like face. "What is it, Vulcano~?" she sweetly asked.

Again, Vulcano sighed. "You do know where we are, don't you?" he asked, though it came out more as a sarcastic comment.

The blue-haired girl kept her big smile on. "Nope~," she oh-so-innocently said that it took a LOT of Vulcano's self-control to not slap that freaky (at least, for him) smile off her face.

He heaved another frustrated sigh before he slumped down on a park bench. He and Coral were enjoying themselves in Magnolia before Coral suddenly took off to a random direction. Of course, following Anna's orders of sticking close to his "group partner", he took off after her, only to find out that it was just another one of Coral's pranks.

_Damn her, _Vulcano grumbled in his thoughts. After a lot of wandering around trying to find the way to Fairy Tail, they decided to take a rest in Magnolia Park. He watched Coral play with the butterflies that fluttered here and there. _Why do I feel like a father taking care of his daughter?_

He was about to call to Coral when two loud voices interrupted him.

"Shut the hell up, flamehead!"

"Why should I, perverted popsicle!?"

"What did you say, charcoal!?"

"Perverted popsicle!"

"Ashbrain!"

_Wait, 'ashbrain'!?_ Vulcano quickly turned to his left and saw two boys his age fighting. And one was only wearing his boxers. He smirked. _There's actually someone else that is being called 'ashbrain', huh?_

"What's with the creepy look, Vulcano?" said a sickly sweet voice. He glared at Coral in the corner of his eyes and kept his eyes on the brawl.

Coral followed his gaze and gasped. He ran towards Vulcano and shook his shoulders. "What are you－!?" "Don't tell me you're GAY, Vulcano!?" she exclaimed.

Vulcano gaped at her. Some people near them stared at them in surprise. Even the two teenagers that were fighting awhile ago stopped mid-punch and faced them. The Flame Alchemist clenched his teeth in annoyance and placed one of his hand on Coral's shoulders. In one squeeze of his hand and a burst of magic power, he _actually _burned Coral.

"Kyah!" Flailing her arms and applying some of her water magic, Coral managed to put out the fire. What was left of it was just a slight singe at the shoulder part. She pouted at Vulcano. "You didn't have to do that, you know? I liked this dress," she muttered.

The flame-user rolled his eyes and scoffed. "It's just the sleeve anyway. Plus, you just HAD to ask..._that_," he retorted. He hated it when people questioned his manliness. In the corner of his eye, he saw the two teenagers that he was observing awhile ago walk towards them.

The salmon-haired one spoke up. "You've got nice flames there!" he commented. Vulcano merely smirked at him while the guy's raven-haired companion rolled his eyes.

"There you are, Salamander," said another voice. They all turned to their right and saw three people coming their way. One was a tall and muscular young man with long spiky black hair and multiple piercings and studs. Another was a petite young, teenage girl with blue hair. And the last one was a small girl with long dark blue hair.

"Gajeel! Levy! Wendy! What are you guys doing here?" the salmon-haired one called out to them with a huge grin. The three of them walked over to them with smiles on their faces. Upon noticing the two strangers, they smiled (Gajeel just stared) at them.

"Oh, we didn't introduce ourselves! I'm Natsu Dragneel," the same "flamehead" said.

"Gray Fullbuster," said the raven-haired one.

"My name is Wendy Marvell. It's nice to meet you," the dark blue haired little girl said meekly.

"I'm Levy McGarden," the other petite girl introduced.

"Gajeel Redfox," said the one with multiple piercings. Vulcano and Coral nodded through all the introductions.

Vulcano pointed to himself, "I'm Vulcano Emberlei," then to Coral, "And this is Coral Aquamarine." Said girl pouted before complaining again. "Mou~ I could introduce myself, too, you know!" Everyone just laughed or snickered at her childish behavior. Gradually, they started talking casually.

Until Natsu said something.

"Haaaah... You act almost like Luce, you know, Coral?" he grumbled. Then realization dawned on him on what he just blurted and his cheery expression turned grim. The Guardians stared in confusion as their newfound friends sulked at the mention of 'Luce'.

"Lucy-san..." Wendy muttered as she started sniffing.

The Guardians' eyes widened. _Lucy?! They know Lucy?!, _they simultaneously thought. Suddenly feeling awkward, they looked at the sun and noticed that it was nearing the tree canopy. Slowly, they stood up. "W-we're sorry, but we forgot we have to go somewhere," Vulcano nervously said.

Levy looked up at them apologetically. With watery eyes, she nodded. "Un. It was nice talking to you," she said. The both of them nodded and made their way out of the park.

Once out, they looked at each other, their eyes conveying the same thought.

_"What was that all about?"_

* * *

Lucy ran around the streets of Magnolia, frantically searching the place. She panicked inwardly. _Where the hell are they?! _she thought. Just a while ago, she was heading out of a restaurant with Kaze and Rain (apparently, Kaze won the argument) and the next thing she knew, they were gone. She was alone.

As she searched the streets, she didn't notice someone in front of her, bumped into that someone, and fell on her butt again._ S_he inwardly scolded herself. _What the... Do you enjoy bumping people these days, Lucy? _Rubbing her sore bottom, she looked up to apologize to the man (she thought) she bumped.

"I'm sor－" she stopped and stared at the man with wide eyes. _Lighter blonde hair than mine... he's... He's the one from my memories!_

Said man raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you staring at, girly?" he questioned. Lucy's eyebrow twitched and she stood up abruptly, surprising the man. She glared at him and folded her arms. "You're supposed to apologize to people you bumped into. Not saying 'What are you staring at?' to them!" she lectured. The man simply brushed it off and ignored her, which made Lucy twitch again.

He was about to make his leave when he heard something.

"Ah! There you are, Luce!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. He saw two dark blue-haired young men run to the girl. Now it was his turn to stare.

Lucy felt someone's stare and faced the man whom she bumped into. She raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly. "What are you staring at, Blondie?" she teased. _Ha! Right back at you, young man!_ she inwardly praised herself.

The man inwardly winced at the nickname 'Blondie' but remained silent. "L-Luce?" he stuttered. Another man walked up to him from behind and eyed them curiously.

Kaze looked back and forth from the man to Lucy until a sudden thought came to him. _Aw, crap! _he panicked. Anna's order from the day Lucy woke up resounded in his mind.

_"Never give out any clues about Lucino's real identity to anyone from outside the guild. Is that clear?"_

He cringed at the glare he recieved on that moment. Then in a almost-desperate attempt, he stepped between the two. "Oi, earth to Brownie. Oi!" he called to the caramel-haired Lucy. The girl twitched and glared at him. He sweatdropped as he felt the man's stare from behind him.

"What? You never said I should call you Luce all the time, didn't you? It was just a nickname I came up with to annoy you, anyway. Lucino's too long." With that, he felt the intensity of the stare lower down. He inwardly sighed in relief. Looking behind him, he saw the man and his companion exchange looks of doubt. He gulped.

"Anyway, let's go," he suggested. He grabbed Lucy's wrists and dragged her out of the scene, with Rain following behind, unsure of what just happened.

When they turned a corner and away from the two men, he let go of Lucy's wrists and heaved out a sigh. Lucy looked at him questioningly before an angry thought came to mind. "What was that you said about the 'Luce' nickname? That it was just to annoy me?" she asked in a menacing tone.

"Wait! It was just a way to get us out of the situation! If they start to have doubts over your _identity_," he started explaining, whispering the 'identity' word. "Then Anna will kill me! Literally kill me!" he panicked.

Lucy sighed and shrugged. "Fine, it's okay. I understand. Thank you, by the way," she smiled, not noticing the blush that appeared on Kaze's cheeks for a mere second. "Though, I doubt Anna would do that," she added.

Kaze shrugged. "Anyway, let's go before we get there late," he said, walking away with his hands behind his head. Rain and Lucy looked at each other before shrugging and following after him.

* * *

"What are you staring at, Sting?" the black-haired companion of the stranger Lucy bumped into, inquired.

Said man snapped out of thoughts and turned to his partner. "It's nothing, Rogue. Just..." he glanced at the direction the Guardians had left. "Did you see that?" he asked.

Rogue raised an eyebrow in question. "What do you mean?"

"I'm positive I saw Leo's key in her satchel," Sting said. He ruffled his hair with his hand before sighing. "Nevermind. It's none of my business, anyway." He turned and walked to the opposite direction. Rogue stared at his back for a while before sighing and catching up with the pace of his partner.

* * *

Anna stood in front of the doors of the Fairy Tail building. In her peripheral vision, she saw her teammates running towards her. She smiled as they reached her, panting for breath.

"Are we late?" Kaze asked as he looked up at her.

Anna shook her head. "Just on time. Let's go now. We wouldn't want to make Master Makarov wait any longer, would we?" Then she turned on her heel towards the entrance, not bothering to hear their replies. And she didn't have to, for her teammates quickly complied and followed after her.

* * *

_Later that day  
In Makarov's Office_

Master Makarov scanned the papers that were inside the package he recieved from the Guardians. He furrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought.

On the papers was Lucy Heartfilia's data. The elderly master remembered that the young master of the Guardians wanted to investigate a bit about her and asked to borrow the data. Of course, he had to be cautious. That's why he only lent the data that were not so personal.

He rubbed his temples with one hand. Why was he even stressed about this?

Sighing, he organized the papers and set them on the table.

_What does Master Sakura know about Lucy? How did she know her?_

* * *

_Next time on Fate..._

_"I have an important announcement to make for all of you," Master Sakura announced to her guildmates gathered in the hall. _

_"This would most likely surprise you all, but I have decided..."_

* * *

**(A/N)**

I know, right? What a short preview -_-

I don't know if I did a good job on that scene in the cake shop (with Erza)... Please tell me your opinions on it. It will help me quite a lot :).

**NOTICE!:** I'm going on a one-week vacation on Tuesday. And after that, am heading straight to school -_- So that means... I'LL MISS YOU GUYS T_T The next update would be, maybe... 2-3 weeks from now :(

**- ~ (^_-) ~ -**

Someone... Please suggest to me a good StiCy, RoLu, JeLu, or GraLu fic~! Otherwise, I might end up LOVING Bleach's HitsuHina instead! T_T I just can't get enough of that couple...! Or... maybe you guys could suggest a good HitsuHina fic, too? Hehe.. ^_^" *rubs neck awkwadly*

And about Chapter 333 *SPOILER* WOOOH! EPIC! XD *END OF SPOILER* Haha. Lol. I didn't want to lengthen this note more ;P

Any comments? Suggestions? Violent reactions? PM me or leave it in your review. :D ...Wait, ignore the violent reactions part O.O Though, I accept constructive criticism as long as it's not rude.

*Sigh* Looks like I wouldn't be able to reach Chapter 10 before going to school, huh? -_-

Anyway... Don't forget to leave a review~! I am in need of them, people~ The more, the merrier! ^_^

Ciaossu~ Don't forget to vote on my profile poll~!

**GUEST REVIEW RESPONSES:**  
**ninjapanda:** Aww, thanks! :D Yeah, I'm planning to post it when I get farther into Fate... XD You're so right! I made Kaze ALMOST identical to Sting! But as idiotic as Natsu, too ;P Thank you for reading and reviewing~! ^_^


End file.
